Veritas
by kirikarin
Summary: The Veritas is a hidden organization between the wizarding and Muggle world. Percy Weasley finds himself caught in the middle of it all. Alternate World. Post-OotP and pre-JKR site.
1. Prologue

Veritas

Part One: Dawning Along the Horizon

Prologue

Someone was working into the early morning hours in the Gryffindor common room.  It was close to the end of the school year, but the upcoming final exams, namely the N.E.W.T.s, were fast approaching.  This particular person had more to prove because she wasn't simply Head Girl, but also a Muggle born witch. Her reddish-brown hair was piled up on her head in a haphazard bun. Her eyes were amber with an outer ring of green.  They sparkled, but gave the slightest hint of exhaustion. 

Her name was Sidney Nelsen.  She was going to turn eighteen years old during the summer, but she already had a job lined up.  She was originally from Holland, and she had spent her magical education in England.  Not only did she have some of the highest grades of the year, but she also had a boyfriend that almost every girl envied.  He was a pureblood from a well-known wizarding family. 

The professors were strongly reminded of a past couple from Gryffindor who were also Head Boy and Girl whenever they looked at Sidney and her boyfriend.  Sidney reminded some of the teachers of Lily Evans.  Her copper locks were almost like Lily's.  She had the same studious nature, but remained very popular with almost everyone.

 "What are you doing up so early?  Did you ever go to bed?" asked a familiar, playful voice from behind her.  She looked up and saw her boyfriend standing over her.  He leaned in and kissed her. Sidney was one of the tallest girls in the class, while her boyfriend was the tallest boy in Gryffindor. 

Sidney smiled slightly and nodded.  "I just got up early.  Not all of us are as brilliant as you, Bill."

Bill Weasley smiled at her.  "But, you really shouldn't work that hard, Sid.  You're over stressing yourself."  He gently rubbed her shoulders.  To his surprise, Sidney shrugged him off.  "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she muttered without looking at him.

"Come on, tell me," he urged. "You can tell me anything."

"This is very important to me, Bill. I need to do well on the final exams and the N.E.W.T.s."

Bill studied her carefully and realized instantly that there was more happening than Sidney was letting on. "What's bothering you? You know that you're going to do well. There's something else. I know it," he insisted. 

"It's nothing."

Bill sighed, "But, if there's not anything wrong, why do you look so upset?"

Sidney glanced at him, "I'm just worried about the future, Bill.  Haven't you ever thought of that?"

"Of course," replied Bill.  "Didn't I ever tell you that I could see the future?"  

"You don't take Divination," said Sidney, skeptically.  "You said that Trelawney was a fraud."  

"I don't need Divination to see the future."

"All right, what do you see?"

"First thing's first, I am probably going to work for the Ministry of Magic like my father.  You and I will keep dating.  And if it feels right, then we'll get married."  Bill gazed at her meaningfully.  Sidney's expression remained still as she turned her head away from him.  

"It's not that simple, Bill," she whispered.  "Did it ever occur to you that I have plans, too?"  _Plans that don't involve you_.  She added silently, but she didn't dare say those words out loud.  

"Of course, you can do what you want to do, Sid," said Bill in a somewhat dismissive manner as he ran his fingers through his short red hair.  "We haven't really told any of our families that we're dating.  You are going to meet my family after graduation."

Sidney smiled at that thought, but quickly buried it.  She didn't want to tell him about her plans.  It was important that she kept her plans secret.  She stood up.  "I'm going to sleep," she announced, her voice ragged with exhaustion as she gathered up her things.  She only paused to give Bill a kiss that lingered on his lips, despite how short it was.  Sidney left him with a smile on his face.  

The smile didn't last for very long.  He was worried about her.  He wondered what was bothering her so much.  Bill didn't have a clue.  He looked straight out the window.  The sun was slowly rising.  Someone clapping a hand over his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts.  "Ah!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"You're up early," said the familiar voice of Bill's younger brother, Charlie.  He was grinning and his brown eyes were alive with mischief.  Perhaps, the mischief was Bill's imagination.  After spending the summer at home with his younger twin brothers, Fred and George, Bill was trying to figure out where the pair had learned to prank people so early.  He suspected Charlie had given the twins a few pointers.  Bill pitied Percy, the third child, because he fell victim to most of the twins' pranks.

"So are you," retorted Bill, annoyed.  He attempted to turn away from Charlie.  

"Aw...what's wrong?  Did you and Sidney have a tiff?" asked Charlie, teasingly.

Bill turned to glare at him.  "It's nothing," he said quickly.  "I think she's nervous about meeting everyone."

Charlie nodded, "Of course, meeting the Weasley clan is like meeting everyone else."  He was chuckling softly.  "But, she's got nothing to worry about.  She's the perfect girl for Mum and Dad.  She's Head Girl, which will be more than good enough for Mum.  And she's Muggle born.  Dad's going to love that.  He can ask her all sorts of questions.  He can even meet her parents."

"What about _them_?" asked Bill.  "Can she survive _them_?"

"Aw...come on, Percy's not too bad.  He's only a first year.  And Fred and George will like her.  They like meeting new people.  Ron likes anyone who carries him.  Ever since Ginny was born, he hasn't been carried as often as he'd like.  Ginny's sweet to everyone," said Charlie, reassuringly.  He smiled again.  Just thinking of his younger siblings was enough to make Charlie smile.  He had been present for the births of all of them, while Bill had missed Ron's and Ginny's births.  Charlie knew that Bill was kind of attached to Ginny, while Charlie was more attached to the twins.  Percy was the one who was very attached to Ron.

Charlie liked to think that Percy belonged in the older brother club with Bill and him.  It made perfect sense because Percy was the one who was in charge of wrangling the twins in when Bill and Charlie were away for school.  However, he was now in school with them.

"Ginny was a bit of a surprise," said Bill musingly.  "Who would have thought that we'd ever have a girl in the family?"

"Yes, but that does explain the excess of maroon that Ron's been forced to wear.  Remember, Mum and Dad thought that he'd be the girl?" chuckled Charlie.  "But, don't tell Fred or George, they'll never let Ron live it down."

"You're the one who's been telling them things," snorted Bill.  "By the way, why are you up so early?"

"I'm up early because there's one last Quidditch game, remember?" Charlie reminded him.  "Look, I know that you're kind of worried about Sidney, but you've got nothing to worry about.  It will all work out eventually."

Bill was not so sure about that.  He did not tell Charlie about how Sidney had been distancing herself from him.  Bill was worried about her.  He loved her more than anyone and he wanted to marry her.  He thought of asking her before graduation that way they would have more than just graduation to celebrate.  Bill knew it was too early to even think about getting married, but being engaged couldn't hurt.  They could work a while before getting married.

Bill sighed again as he stood up.  "I'm going back to bed.  You can stay here and meditate before your game," he said as he yawned.  He had only gone to the common room to check on Sidney because he knew that she would be down there.  Charlie shook his head as he watched Bill leave.

Things changed two weeks shy of graduation, Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup.  Their entire house was elated.  However, things were more strained between Sidney and Bill.  They were talking less and less.  It was odd considering the extra they had to do with graduation fast approaching.  As Head Boy and Girl, Sid and Bill had more work hoisted on them.  Sidney merely finished her work and submitted it early rather than meet with Bill like she was supposed to.

Bill was more than frustrated after only a few days of Sidney's avoidance.  He decided to have a talk with her as soon as possible.  It was hard to manage because she was doing an excellent job of avoiding him.  It wasn't an easy thing to do, but she had managed to do it.  So, Bill staked himself outside of her last class that afternoon.  Bill knew that Sidney would stay until she was the last one to leave; she always left her questions for the end of class.  She had come down the stairs and saw him.  The look on her face was near panic as she tried to turn around to get away, only to collide with Professor Vector.

"What's going on, Miss Nelsen?" asked Professor Vector.

 "Nothing," replied Sidney quickly as she shook her head.  Her cheeks were flushed.  

"Hello, Mister Weasley," greeted Professor Vector as she continued down the stairs.  She smiled at the young couple as she left.  She was very fond of both of them.  They did not say a word to each other until they could no longer hear the sounds of the professor's footsteps.

Sidney bit her lip as she took one glance at Bill, who was looking at her with an unreadable expression.  After another lingering silence, Bill offered her his hand, which she took.  "Where are we going?"  Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"To talk," replied Bill.  Sidney made no comment.  She didn't dare look at him as they went outside.  He glanced at her from time to time, noticing how tense she was.  He stopped himself from saying that everything would be all right because he was not so sure about that.  At this point, Bill was not sure about anything.  The only thing he knew for certain was that he loved her and she loved him.  

The weather was very pleasant outside.  The sun was shining.  Everything was green, even the tops of the trees of the Forbidden Forest.  It was hard to believe that things were so dangerous outside the school.  Bill and Sid sighed together.  He cupped her chin and tilted it upward, so that her eyes were facing him.  It seemed like a lot of time had passed since Bill had seen her eyes.

"What's been bothering you?" asked Bill gently.

"I can't say," whispered Sid.

"What do you mean you can't say?" snapped Bill, starting to lose his temper.  One look at her face, and he immediately regretted getting angry with her.  "You've been avoiding me for a while.  If there's a problem, then just tell me."

"I don't think we can be together much longer," whispered Sidney as she gathered her courage to look him in the eye.  "We can't keep going.  I'm sorry."

"What do you mean?" whispered Bill as he grabbed her shoulders.  Her head turned away from him.  "What do you mean?" he repeated, keeping his voice leveled.  He couldn't believe what he was hearing.  Was he the only one who had thought of them having a future together?  "Was everything a lie?  Tell me, Sidney.  Make me understand."  His voice was pleading.

Sidney shook her head.  She felt herself weaken at his words, but she could not allow herself to feel it.  She just couldn't.  It was not only her future at stake.  She had already given her word.  It was the sacrifice she had to make.  There was no way she could explain it to Bill and make sense without revealing the secrets she was already keeping.  She reached out her hand and stroked his cheek.  He pressed his forehead against hers.

"I'm so sorry, but I can't," whispered Sidney.  She leaned in and kissed him softly.  Bill could feel the tears on her eyelashes against his cheeks.  He put his arms around her and pulled her close.  It was all he could do.  "I'm so sorry," she repeated.  She couldn't bring herself to say that she loved him; it was more painful than she had expected.  

A chill ran through them as they held each other.  Bill did not understand what was happening; he could not comprehend the pain that Sidney was in.  He wanted to ask her why, but he stopped himself.  His words were caught in his as if he couldn't breathe.  Time was slipping from them.  It was far from over though.

This was only a beginning.

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: This prologue is actually a rewrite of the original. I was doing some formatting between Frontpage and Word that I lost the original. There are parts that just sucked and that were much better in the original. I want to cry. Bill was much sweeter in the original, while Sidney was more understandable. This sucks. My heartfelt apologies. This fic will be different from other fanfics because of the focus.  This is a Percy fic, but he won't actually show up until chapter two.  I have to establish Sidney and Bill's relationship.

Anyway, someone did steal my last few works and tried to pretend it was their own.  So, I have no choice, but to include all information about who has done what.  Thanks to all the support from the readers at the time.  

kirikarin.livejournal.com

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.  


	2. Letters from Egypt

Veritas

Part One: Dawning Along the Horizon

Chapter One - Letters from Egypt

The sun bore down mercilessly upon his shoulders. Thick waves of heat obscured the distance along the horizon. The hot air wrapped around every living creature. The sand reflected the sun's heat many times over. There was stillness out in the heat that was nothing more but a mirage. He was leading a group of explorers through the deserts as they trekked off to go and find more treasure. The sun was already too hot to bear. They stopped to breathe for a moment. 

"Too hot for you, Weasley? I know that Englishmen are used to cooler weather," said Amir, a young Egyptian wizard with tan skin. He had short, curly brownish-black hair along with a short beard on his chin. He was only nineteen years of age and quite excited. This was his first trip into the open desert, hunting for treasure.  "You just came back from England because you were specifically summoned here.  Have you gotten soft?"

Bill Weasley sighed as he wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. A hot wind kicked up, messing his hair. He wore it in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. It was now midway down his back. Bill refused to cut it. He had allowed his hair to grow out ever since he had graduated from Hogwarts. He wore a dragon fang earring on his ear. He was dressed in khakis and a light shirt. He wore heavy-duty boots that were slightly worn at the heels. 

"I've gotten used to this.  You're right.  England was too cold," said Bill with a wide grin and a shrug of his shoulders. He pulled his ponytail out from under his shirt. "Besides, it's not even that hot yet."

Amir chuckled in agreement. "You're right. I've never seen foreigners take to the heat as well as you do."

"After a couple of years, it isn't a problem. Where's that blasted contact?" Bill surveyed the distance again. They were waiting for someone who had contacted the bank three days ago asking for someone to appraise a find. It was not unusual for the wizarding bank, Gringotts, to send out representatives rather than have things sent directly. It was for security purposes. A curse was also easier to break in original sites, rather than in the bank. Sometimes a cursed object could do enormous damage to the insides of the Egyptian branch of Gringotts, if not handled properly. 

This person had contacted Bill's supervisor. It took more messages back and forth before they settled on a meeting place, which was located near a dig site that was currently being excavated by Muggle archeologists. The area had been surveyed by wizards ages ago. The area still held great interest with the Muggles. The wizards had cleared out any dangerous artifacts before any Muggle had set foot there.

Gringotts Bank specifically gave him orders to temporarily return to Egypt because the contact specifically requested a curse breaker with Bill's experience.  Bill was more than happy to return to Egypt, if only temporarily.  He had missed everything about it, but he had very important business to deal with in England.  

Bill turned around and was startled by the sudden appearance of a man dressed in traditional Egyptian garb. His clothes were a shade of off white. He had dark hair and dark eyes that flashed dangerously. He had a beard at his chin. He looked almost like a Bedouin, but his clothes lacked the markings of sun and wind. He looked about Bill's age, but his eyes were older. At his waist, he wore a short knife, but Bill was sure that he had a wand concealed somewhere on his person.

"My apologies for the lateness of my arrival," he said in English accent. He looked at them, especially Bill, before he went on, "Are you from the bank?" He was careful not to use the name of the bank out loud.

Bill was the first to recover. "Yes, we're from the bank," he replied with a nod.

"My name is Asmodeus," said the man in perfect English with the slightest Egyptian accent. He looked at them with his dark eyes again and they flickered ever so slightly towards the Muggles.

Bill and Amir had no choice, but to follow Asmodeus. "This object was found not too far from here. You are to take it back to the bank for safe keeping." He led them straight to a spotted Arabian horse. It was unusual for someone out in the desert to use a horse rather than a camel, which was what most of the locals did.

Amir's face displayed confusion as he voiced, "But we were summoned to appraise something."

Bill immediately signaled the young Egyptian to be quiet by raising his hand. However, Asmodeus gave an answer. "I could not say what the object in question was in my letter. It was not safe to do so. Even now. The object was crafted here, but it was commissioned by a native from your country, Mr. Weasley." Asmodeus' tone had a distinct sharpness to it. No one was to ask him any more questions, even though he had admitted to deceiving them. Bill's instincts told him it was best that they concluded their business quickly.

Asmodeus opened the saddlebag after saying something in Arabic. It must have been a protective spell, but neither Bill nor Amir saw Asmodeus draw a wand. He opened the bag and drew out a velvet cloth. There was something tucked into its folds. As far as Bill could tell, it wasn't very big. His curiosity increased even more.

The velvet cloth was contrary to everything about Asmodeus that Bill could see. The velvet was something posh and fine, compared to the long flowing Bedouin robes Asmodeus was wearing. Bill mentally noted that Asmodeus had not stopped deceiving them. He gripped his wand waiting for the object that was under the cloth. His eyes paused to look at the dagger that was located at Asmodeus' waist. Bill added the word "dangerous" to his mental note. 

Asmodeus unfolded the cloth. Laying on it was a small orb. It looked like an opal, but it seemed to give off some sort of energy. Asmodeus folded the cloth up and handed it to Bill. "What is it?" managed Bill, feeling the heat from orb through the velvet. He knew it was not the heat in the desert.

"It is the only way," replied Asmodeus. "My leader has given orders that it is to remain in the vaults of the bank here in Egypt. When the new leader comes, it is to be given to him."

"What?" asked Amir, utterly confused.

Bill was not too sure either. He noticed that the heat from the orb had not increased, but it didn't cool either. "What is this?" he demanded again.

"The leader only knows what it is," admitted Asmodeus. "It was only my duty to deliver it. Nothing more." He closed the saddlebag and mounted his horse.

"We can't possibly keep it in our vaults, if it's dangerous!" exclaimed Amir. "We don't even know if our supervisor will allow us to do so!"

"It is not my problem," said Asmodeus simply. "I only follow orders from the leader."

This time Bill spoke up, "How do we know you're not a bloody Death Eater?!" He was still clutching the velvet cloth. He made a move to return it to Asmodeus, but the horse reared back suddenly, knocking Bill to the ground. He got back on his feet.

Asmodeus glared at them. He raised his arms and pulled down the sleeves of his robes. "There," he said harshly. "There's your proof. I am no Death Eater. I will not have you jackals insult me. If you know what is good for you, you will return to your bank and store the orb." Before either Bill or Amir could speak, Asmodeus rode off, leaving them disoriented for several minutes.

Bill was the first to recover. "Are you all right?" he asked Amir who appeared shaken. Amir gave a feeble nod. "What are we going to do?" he asked.

"We go back," replied Bill with a shrug. Amir nodded again and they Apparated back to the Gringotts Egyptian branch in Cairo. The first thing they did was go to their supervisor's office. Their supervisor's name was Brent Muhammad. He was half English and half Egyptian. He was taking care of his paperwork and looked up as Bill and Amir strolled in. 

"Welcome back, Weasley. Hazr," said Brent. "How did the appraisal go?"

Bill placed the velvet cloth on the table and unfolded it, displaying the orb. It was small enough to fit in a grown man's palm. It was only about an inch and a half in diameter. "Not too well. The contact lied to us. It wasn't an appraisal at all, Mr. Muhammad. He wanted to put this into one of our vaults. We don't even know what it is, Mr. Muhammad," reported Bill.

Brent picked up the orb. "It feels warm. Did you do any of the usual curse breaking spells?"

"We didn't," admitted Bill. "We've never encounter anything like this. At least, I have never seen anything like this."

Brent opened his top left hand drawer and pulled out a magnifying glass. He peered through it at the orb. "It has a definite energy about it. Weasley, I want you to put this in one of the high security vaults. Not one of the security deposit boxes. Put it in a vault by itself. Put protective wards up. No one is allowed to go into the vault except for the three of us here. Hazr, I want you to go to the library and the catalogs. Look up anything that remotely resembles this. As soon as you find anything, come back and tell me."

Bill and Amir nodded. Brent folded up the velvet cloth and handed it back to Bill. He noticed how Brent's hands trembled ever so slightly. Bill always knew Brent to be a very calm man who was virtually unshakable in almost any situation.

They walked out of the office. "This is very strange, Bill," muttered Amir. "I don't like this at all."

"Neither do I. But, it's part of the job," said Bill in a reassuring tone. "You'll feel better as soon as you find out what this thing is. And I'll feel better, too."

Amir nodded. "I'll start with the Egyptian files. If it doesn't work, then I'll try the British and Irish catalogs." It was a logical plan of attack. If the orb was crafted in Egypt there was a good chance that there would be something in the extensive catalog of magical objects. And if an English person commissioned the orb, there might have been a chance that there was some information in the British and Irish catalogs as well.

"I have to put this in the vault," said Bill as he walked off towards the high security vaults. He approached to one of the goblins. "This requires a private security vault along with protective wards."

The goblin grunted, which Bill automatically took as a yes. He followed the goblin to the high security vaults. The goblin ran his finger along the lock, opening the great double doors. Bill followed the goblin until they got to vault that was labeled 206. The troll opened the vault with a key that had a charm on it to prevent duplication. Several large, heavy doors made out of metal, the last being titanium, opened. Bill walked in without the goblin following. He checked the cloth again and then placed it on floor of the vault. It was an awfully big vault for something so small. 

Bill walked out of the vault. The doors slid shut. The goblin locked the door, securing it tightly before Bill could do the incantations with a wave of his wand, putting up the protective wards. He walked back to his office after that. The weight of the orb being in the vault was not a relief at all.

Over the next few days, Amir was buried in the books, catalogs, and other files, looking for any trace of information. Brent did not want any tests done on the orb because he did not want to risk blowing up the bank.  The orb obviously had incredibly unknown powers. After much thought, Brent summoned Bill back to his office.

"I want you to find out more about this Asmodeus and what that blasted thing is," ordered Brent. "I would rather not have it in the bank at all, but I would like even less for it to fall into evil hands."

"Would you like me to return to England to search for more information?" asked Bill.

"Very well. Do that.  Besides, you have to return to England anyway," agreed Brent. "Either way, I want to know what the Hell that thing is."

Bill nodded in agreement. "I'll do what I can." He left Brent's office again and went back to his. He found an owl waiting for him and immediately recognized it as Charlie's owl, Talon. Bill took the letter and offered Talon some figs that were on the desk. He opened the letter. It read.

_Dear Bill,_

_I hope you're not working too hard. There are a lot of things going on in England right now. Mum and Dad have a lot of business to take care of with Professor Dumbledore. It's a good thing that Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny are away at Hogwarts where it's safe. Unfortunately, there has been no word from Percy. He's still angry with Dad. He hasn't even talked to Dad at the Ministry. So, I have no idea what's going on with him. Do you mind writing him a letter? See if he answers you. Mum's worried about him._

_I personally think that Percy is being a real prat about the whole thing.  Everyone knows that Voldemort is back now.  The Ministry has admitted it.  All Percy has to do is swallow his pride and apologize to Dad and Mum.  He's being really stubborn about the whole thing._

_Anyway, would you like to meet me for lunch tomorrow in Egypt? I have some free time. I would like to see you. _

**_Charlie_**

Bill sighed when he was done reading it. Percy's actions came as a surprise because he had always been the most compliant child out of all of the Weasley children. He would follow rules. He learned them quickly and lived by them. Bill could understand how Percy felt. It was the first time that Percy ever really learned that the world was truly unfair. Just because one played by the rules did not mean that everyone else did. The events from last summer had shaken the very foundation of what made Percy's personality the way it was. Bill was worried about Percy as well. He was worried about his whole family.

Bill worried about Fred and George because they were reckless. He worried about Ginny because she had already fallen prey to Voldemort before. Finally, there was Ron. Bill thought that out of all of his younger siblings, Ron was the most likely to get killed because his best friend was Harry Potter. Bill played it cool, but wrote Ron more frequently than the others. However, with Charlie's letter, Bill was more concerned for Percy. There was no telling what was going to happen to him.

Like his parents and Charlie, Bill was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. They were part of Albus Dumbledore's inner circle. They were the only line of defense against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. The British Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, refused to even acknowledge Voldemort had risen again. He would not even enact the Aurors to do anything about it, even though the signs were surfacing. If Fudge wanted to live in a world with blinders on that was all well and good, but not at the expense of lives.  A couple of months later, everything was revealed and practically the whole Ministry of Magic had to retract previous statements about Voldemort not being alive.

It was an unknown fact that the Weasleys were members of Dumbledore's inner circle since the beginning. Bill took pride in his family's history in fighting the Dark Arts. He knew that the Weasleys were around for most of the major skirmishes against evil forces. At least, he knew about his father's side's part. Come to think of it, Bill didn't know much about his mother's side. 

Molly Weasley had come from not only a pure blood wizarding family, but also from a wealthy, affluent family.  Her children had never seen hide or hair of any member from her side. Bill had a vague idea of why. He knew that his grandfather detested Muggles and Muggle lovers alike. Bill knew that his grandfather had a lot of pride when it came to being a pure blood.  There was also a connection to the Dark Arts on Molly's side of the family.  

Bill picked up a piece of clean parchment and proceeded to write his response to Charlie. He wrote that they could meet at the usual restaurant and that he would write a letter to Percy as soon as possible. He handed it to Talon who took it and flew off. Now, Bill took out another clean piece of parchment and an envelope. He didn't know Percy's address, so he addressed it in care of the Ministry of Magic. He had forgotten which department Percy had been transferred to, so he had to send it to the general offices. 

Taking great care in the selection of his words, Bill penned a letter to Percy. He made it short, but didn't make any indications of forcing him into going home or speaking with their father. 

_Dear Percy,_

_How are you doing? It's been a while since I have heard from you. I know that you must be very busy, so I apologize if this letter interrupts your day.  Things are busy here in Egypt. I was wondering if you might have any free time coming up. I could come and visit you or you could come here for a visit. It can just be Charlie, you, and me. You know like before the twins, Ron, and Ginny were born. Just kidding, but it would be nice to see you._

_Please reply. If you are too busy to do so, I understand._

**_Bill_**

Bill reread the letter again before putting it in the envelope. Walked over the cage where his hawk, Zeus, was sleeping. Different parts of the world used different birds for mailing, but owls were the primary birds used. "Zeus, I need you to go to England again," said Bill.

Zeus opened his eyes and jumped off his perch as Bill opened his cage. "It seems like you have been going there a lot. It must be tiring for you," said Bill, stroking Zeus' feathers. Zeus clicked his beak and stuck out his leg for Bill to tie the letter to it. He gave a reassuring blink of his eyes before flying out of the window at top speed.

Bill decided to do some paperwork, but Amir knocked at his door. "Come in," he said. Amir came in. He looked tired because he had spent a good fourteen hours a day in the archives. "You didn't find anything today, did you?"

"No," said Amir. "I got to thinking about it. What if nothing like it has ever existed before? That might be the reason why we haven't been able to find anything. I'm nearly at my wit's end. On top of that, Mr. Muhammad keeps asking me over and over again if I found anything. Whenever I say no, I feel like I've let him down."

"You might be right about the orb," admitted Bill. "I could tell him, if you want." He didn't want Amir to get into trouble on his first case. Amir reminded Bill strongly of Percy. He wanted to help him as much as possible.

Amir shook his head. "I don't think so. It was my duty to go and look for the information. If I cannot find, then I cannot find it. I will just have to report it to Mr. Muhammad," he said gloomily. "Don't worry about me."

Bill nodded. "What if I am right? What are we going to do with that thing?" continued Amir nervously. Bill shrugged his shoulders. "We'll have to wait and see. The best thing we can do is wait. I think if we leave the orb be, it will do nothing."

"I just thought of something. Did we ever introduce ourselves to Asmodeus?" asked Amir.

The thought jolted Bill's memory. Did they introduce themselves? They did not. It wasn't unusual for the employees of the bank not to introduce themselves. Asmodeus seemed too much in a hurry for such formalities. However, Bill distinctively remembered being addressed as "Mr. Weasley" during their brief encounter. Weasley wasn't a common name in Egypt. How did Asmodeus know his name?

"He also did that spell on the saddlebag without a wand," added Amir. Bill slowly nodded. "I didn't quite understand the spell because it was in Arabic, but I'm sure it was a ward of some kind."

"Don't tell this to Mr. Muhammad. Not until we find out more," decided Bill.

Amir stood up and nodded to go back to the archives. He did not look too convinced by Bill's words. "I'll talk to you later."

"Yes, see you."

The very next day, Bill went early to the little cafe where he usually met Charlie. He waited a good half hour thinking about things from home again. He spotted a young couple meeting for an afternoon rendezvous. Bill looked away from them. His thoughts were betraying him again. They always led him to the same place. Sidney.

He used to think of her everyday, but now he did not think of her so often. Bill could not fight himself for very long. His thoughts came to her at least once a week. Bill did not want to think in what ifs. He didn't want to think what it would have been like if he had married her right out of Hogwarts as he had planned. Instead, Bill would like to think of what Sidney was up to. He hoped that she was happy wherever she was. He wondered if she looked different from before. Bill had changed when he finally left home away from his parents. He decided that he would live his life as he saw fit. That included growing out his hair and getting the dragon fang earring.

Bill was hoping to get back to England.  Fleur Delacour waiting for him.  Recently, she had started working for the bank to improve her English, but she was spending loads of time around Bill.  She was part Veela and very beautiful.  She was a welcome distraction.  Being around her, helped Bill forget about Sidney.  It was something he didn't want to admit to himself.  

"Earth to Bill. This is Charlie speaking. Earth to Bill," whispered Charlie into his ear, jolting Bill from his thoughts.

"Charlie! Don't do that!" exclaimed Bill. His ears turned red with embarrassment. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"But, you wouldn't have noticed me anyway. You were staring off into space," said Charlie, grinning ear to ear. He took the chair from across him. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing. Just problems at work. We've run into something that we're having a Hell of a time trying to classify," replied Bill. "How are things in your end?"

"Quite all right. Did you write to Percy?" asked Charlie. "I tried writing him just a while ago, but I got no response from him. He's still pretty angry."

"I just sent him a letter yesterday. Perhaps, he's too busy to respond. He won't stay mad at Mum and Dad forever. Percy's not the type to do that. Maybe, you or Ron, but not Percy," said Bill thoughtfully.

"What do you mean Ron and me? You think I would hold a grudge against our parents?" asked Charlie incredulously.

"I was only kidding," laughed Bill.

Charlie calmed back down, but only for a moment before saying, "What about Ron? Do you think he'd hold a grudge against Mum and Dad?"

Bill did not know how to answer that. Ron certainly had a temper on him and being the second to youngest there were times he was ignored. Every once in a while, Ron reminded everyone of a time when their parents had forgot something about him or did something to him. Bill had a lot of pressure being the oldest, but Ron had just as much being the youngest son. "No, of course not," Bill replied after a long silence.

"It took you a while to answer that," said Charlie with a grin. "Ron is doing well this year. Despite everything. I just hope Percy comes around. He'll join up with us later. I think.  He's definitely a Weasley though.  He's got loads of pride.  He's not going to back down after all the things he said to our parents.  He's too embarrassed about the whole thing.  That's probably the reason why he won't look Dad in the eye at work."

Percy joining them in the Order wasn't a sure bet. Percy was the wild card of the family. He had a tendency to spend more time by himself than the others. He was not really into sports and preferred to study and read more. It seemed that he had more ambition than the others. It wasn't hard for Bill to imagine Percy as Minister of Magic someday. Percy was not talking to anyone. He had left home during the summer just as Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny returned from Hogwarts. No one, except their father, had seen him. Their mother had seen him briefly, only to have a door slammed in her face.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Bill as the waitress came up to them. They had not been talking all that long. She smiled at them and took their orders. As soon as she was gone, Charlie said, "There will be a meeting soon. Hopefully, Percy will be on our side by then."

Bill chuckled. "You've always been an optimist, Charlie."

"And you're the type to say that there's no glass at all," quipped Charlie.

It was time to change topic, so Bill said, "When is the meeting?"

"No idea. Soon, I reckon."

Their food came and the waitress asked if they needed their drinks refilled. They got their drinks refilled as they continued their conversation. Most of the people around them couldn't care less about what they were talking about. The other patrons after all were Muggles. They had no idea of the impending danger they were in. 

The brothers moved on to another topic all together and discussed the Quidditch games in Europe, specially their favorite teams. Charlie talked about the newly hatched eggs and how much the hatchlings thrived. He even mentioned that the girl he had been seeing had broke up with him, but it did not seem to faze Charlie all that much. Bill did not ask any further questions about that. In fact, his love life wasn't discussed at all.

Both of the brothers did not say exactly why neither of them wish to settling down anytime soon. They did not want to have a family when the world was going to burst into open war at any moment. So, they discussed things that were only in the immediate future.

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: This story is already hard for me to explain. I have a feeling this will be a complex one again. The ideas for some of this have come from Sugarquill.net and from the fifth book. I got writer's block on the last story and did some exploring outside of fanfiction.net because of that overload thing. I am trying to gear up and write my own original story, so I am trying to make this story as much like a book as possible.  This is a Percy story.  I'm sorry that it hasn't appeared that way for right now.  

kirikarin.livejournal.com

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.  


	3. England

Veritas

Part One: Dawning Along the Horizon  
  
Chapter Two - England  
  
Another day, another workload. Everything had a specific procedure and it had to be followed by the letter. It made everything nice, easy, and predictable. On the downside, everything was boring and highly repetitive. It was enough to drive a lesser person into madness. This was how it was like to work in the Ministry of Magic. One could be driven into madness because it was so mundane.  Percy Weasley was one of those people not affected by this.

Percy had been working for the Ministry of Magic for just over a year. The first department he had worked for was the Department of International Magic. He had lost his position from there and had undergone an inquiry because the previous head had been murdered and furthermore, he was guilty of various crimes, including aiding a Death Eater from Azkaban. 

Many would have thought that Percy's career would have been over. Currently, Percy was working in the main offices of the Ministry of Magic. He was directly under the control of the Minister of Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge. Of course, he wasn't the only one working as an aide to the Fudge, but his presence there had been most unexpected, considering what had happened before.  
  
Many Ministry employees were surprised by Percy's appointment to the top offices. Many upon meeting him were surprised because they knew his father, Arthur Weasley. Percy resembled his father in looks, but not in personality. He was far too serious and formal. He had no close friends, and he wasn't on speaking terms with his family currently.  
  
During the months following the Triwizard Tournament, Percy had moved out of his childhood home, the Burrow. He was living on his own for the first time in London. He lived alone with little contact with his neighbors. In fact, many of them did not know him. His social life was nonexistent because he had cut off his family and the few friends he had.  
  
In Hogwarts, Percy had only a handful friends who had been fellow prefects. He had even had a girlfriend by the name of Penelope Clearwater, but he had broken up with her just a few weeks after the Triwizard Tournament. He made no contact with his friends and didn't return any correspondence to anyone, especially his family.  
  
Arthur and Molly Weasley were worried about their third son. They feared for his life and safety. Percy was out in the open and on his own. On top of that, he was angry with both his parents. His faith in them had been shaken. His father had come to his defense when the inquiries started, but it wasn't enough. Percy grew to resent his father's attempts of help and labeled them as meddling. He did not talk to his brothers and sister as well, even though they had written letters to him. He would send back short ones, but lately even those had stopped because he simply had no time to respond.  
  
He was sitting at his desk doing some paperwork when a hawk came. Percy immediately recognized it as Bill's hawk, Zeus. The hawk hopped up and stuck out his leg. Percy untied the envelope and put it on his desk without looking at it. Zeus squawked at him expectantly. "What do you want?" demanded Percy. "I have a lot of work to do."  
  
Zeus squawked again and puffed out his chest. "I don't have the time. You'll just have to go back without anything. I'll send a letter back to Bill by my owl," said Percy. Zeus squawked in response. Percy glared at him. He wasn't about to waste his time in a staring contest with a bird. He sighed and pulled out a piece of parchment and wrote a note without reading Bill's. He stuffed it into an envelope.  
  
"I'll admit you're a pretty smart bird considering that the address on the envelope is to the general offices, but you're very annoying," said Percy as he tied the letter to Zeus' leg. "Now, go."  
  
Percy stared at the letter on his desk. He picked it up and opened it. The letter from Bill came as no surprise to him. He had written an appropriate answer and told Bill that he was too busy to do anything. That was the truth.  
  
There was more to the truth than that, but Percy did not even bother to think about it. He had a meeting to go to during lunch that was very important. He hoped that he would be able to leave the Ministry of Magic soon, but he had a feeling that was not going to happen anytime soon. Percy had his reasons for doing what he did, and they were very good ones.  
  
  
Somewhere else in London, Sidney Nelsen was walking down the sidewalk of a busy Muggle intersection. It was the middle of the day, so everyone was off for lunch. She had a meeting to attend that she was already running late for.   
  
Sidney was dressed in a tailored business suit. It was gray and the skirt was just above her knee. She pulled back a lock of her reddish-brown hair behind her ear. It had been cut short, just above her shoulders, when she had left Hogwarts. Other than that, she still looked as beautiful as before, but she had something that could only be described as wisdom. She was one of those people who only got more beautiful with age.   
  
She waited for the crosswalk to change and crossed the street. Her destination was a teahouse that had private rooms for meetings. It was a relatively new establishment in London and had an Asian design. Sidney walked through the door and saw a man dressed in a suit waiting for her. "Hello, Ma'am. Welcome to Tsuki Teahouse," said the host.  
  
"My name is Sidney Nelsen. I have a meeting in one of the rooms," she said.

"Ah, of course. Your party has already arrived and is waiting for you," said the host as he stepped around the counter. "This way." Sidney nodded and followed him down the hallway. The host stopped and opened the door to find a man already waiting for her. The host bowed to her and left.  
  
"I am sorry for my lateness," said Sidney immediately. She took a seat across from the man.  
  
He was dressed in a finely tailored suit that exceeded the cost of Sidney's many times over. His hair was white as was his beard and moustache, which were trimmed neatly. The man was exceedingly tall and handsome. Everything about him spoke volumes of wealth and power. His eyes were a striking shade of blue. His name was Prometheus Wallace.   
  
"It is quite all right," said Prometheus. His accent was slightly Scottish, which was no surprise because his main wizarding house was located there. He had other properties all over Great Britain along with summer homes in the Caribbean and Ireland. His properties included Muggle homes as well. He had a lordship and was a member of the House of Lords, though he rarely attended the meetings. Prometheus was not a player in politics, and intensely disliked both the Ministry of Magic and the Muggle government.  
  
"Word has come from Asmodeus. The orb has been secured in bank," said Sidney. "Has the contact from the Ministry sent any word?"  
  
"Only to say that things have remained unchanged. I do not want to pull the contact out though," replied Prometheus as he took a sip of his tea.   
  
Sidney left her cup untouched. She had devoted her entire adult life to the cause of Prometheus Wallace just as so many others had. She believed in him. Their world was a different one. It was a world in between the wizards and Muggles. About half the members of their organization were Muggles.  
  
The organization in question goes by a simple title, Veritas. Their motto being "I live by the truth, and die by it."  They were a group of Truth Seekers. These were people who defended others, while cloaked in secrecy. They were a secret organization that devoted themselves to understanding. Their work was very important, especially in times of turmoil.  
  
This was a time of turmoil. There was an impending war in the wizarding world that was going to explode into the Muggle world. The majority of the wizards in the Veritas were Muggle born or half-bloods. Once in a while, only a handful were recruited from around the world to replace older members. Sidney was considered one of the younger members, but she was not as young as some of the new recruits. There was only one new recruit that was selected only a year ago. He was the youngest member of the entire Veritas. This new recruit wasn't really active.   
  
"There is something I wish to ask of you, Sidney," said Wallace in a very soft voice as he traced his finger along the edge of his cup.  
  
"What is it?" asked Sidney.  
  
"This new recruit will have to be put into action sooner than we realize. The Death Eaters are moving quickly. If the Ministry of Magic's predictions are correct, then many will perish. The new recruit is not ready for the field yet. His skills have never been tested. I have decided that you are to be his handler. You are one of my finest agents, Sidney. I want you to teach him what he needs to know to survive," replied Wallace.  
  
Sidney locked gazes with him. She knew that it was not a request; it was an order. She nodded. Sidney knew better than to question Wallace's orders. "I'll try my best to guide him," she agreed.  
  
Wallace pursed his lips. "Be careful with him," he added. "I do not know if he is ready." He looked out window. The teahouse had a peaceful Zen garden in the middle with the rooms surrounding it. The sound of birds and gentle lapping water created the atmosphere of serenity. "It is amazing how utterly calm they can be. They are not aware of it," he whispered.  
  
"The ones who are, are terrified," said Sidney quietly. "My family is worried. My father wants to move back to Holland with my mother and brother. He hasn't shown any magic. Not so much as a spark."  
  
"If we cannot prevent it, there will be no place for them to run. None," said Wallace. "Do you ever regret joining me?"  
  
A chill traveled down Sidney's spine. She shook her head. "Dumbledore cares about the Muggles, but the wizards are his first concern. The Muggles are only a close second. I would gladly lay down my life for the Muggles before the wizards." For a moment, Sidney thought of the other things she had sacrificed for the cause, but her sacrifice was nothing compared to the ones that others were forced to make. Sidney was a little curious as to what Prometheus Wallace had to sacrifice as head of the Veritas, but she knew better than to ask.   
  
"Albus has his priorities, and we have ours," said Wallace simply. He placed his hand on his cane, it was adorned with a silver lion's head on it, as an indication that he was ready to leave. "Our obligations are not only to the Muggles, Sidney, but to our brethren as well. Even though they will never know what we have done."  
  
Sidney nodded again. Every time she met with him, she was left either dumbfounded or speechless. He rose to leave with the aid of his cane. He walked to the door before turning and saying, "Please take care of the new recruit. We will speak again when there is time." Sidney didn't know what to say as he left. She never turned back around even when the door shut.   
  
Her heart felt heavy as she swallowed the lump in her throat. She never thought that she would ever be someone's handler. She doubted whether or not she had the strength to send someone into a mission. Furthermore, Sidney was not so sure if she could handle the new recruit.  
  
  
Percy returned home to his flat, dropped the keys on a table by the door, and took off his shoes. He took of his robes before apparating into the alleyway just outside his apartment complex. He rather enjoyed his small slice of London. It was his own place and everyday after work, he would just look around and admire it.  
  
He went to the bedroom to change his clothes and get to work on other things. Most people did not know what he was doing for a living. He told his Muggle neighbors that he was doing nothing more than a government desk job. They did not seem to ask anymore questions. Percy got the feeling from them that Muggle government work was just as boring as wizarding government work.  
  
When Percy was done with his extra work, he would wander Muggle London. He enjoyed looking at the sites like a typical tourist. He was from Southern England, so it was not hard to believe that he did not know his way around too well. Percy explored the area with great zeal. He was always careful not to ask too many obvious questions, and he was thankful to his old professor of Muggle studies back at Hogwarts.   
  
Percy did everything he could to appear like the normal, run of the mill Muggle. He even went grocery shopping at the local market and attended movies at the cinema. He succeeded in appearing ordinary. He even limited the use of his wand in his flat and had some of the electronics that Muggles typically had in their homes.  
  
There was a computer, air conditioning/heating, telephone, and lighting. The only thing that Percy did not have was a television, which he did not think was necessary. He knew how to work most of the gadgets when he was at school, but the computer was a different story. It intrigued him because it was so functional. Percy gathered as much information on his computer as he could get.   
  
His computer was a laptop, expensive and portable. It was in his office. Percy turned it on and waited for it to boot up. He took off his glasses because he did not need them. His vision had been corrected by Muggle technology, but hardly anyone knew that in the wizarding world. No one in the Ministry of Magic suspected that he had been using fake lenses for months. His vision was corrected because it was a requirement for his night job.

Percy had two jobs. There was his day job at the Ministry of Magic as the aide of the Minister, and his night job, which was something else entirely. Percy had to make out a report to his contact right away. He entered a detailed report. The computer made Percy's reporting job easier. It was a pain to learn how to type, but once he had mastered it, he found it was much more efficient than handwriting. Once more, his handwriting could not be traced. 

The Muggle technology was far more fascinating than Percy had ever learned from school or his father. He found it interesting that so much data could fit into such small amounts of space. There were things that remained a mystery to him, even though he had heard highly complicated explanations about them. Percy followed the directions on how to keep things secure and encrypted.

Percy carefully wrote the report.  It was almost identical to all of the other reports.  Percy sighed when he reread it for errors.  It was disappointing.  He had hoped to have something new, but weeks had passed since then.  The Ministry did not suspect him of anything, which made him wonder if he was doing his job right or completely wrong.  

Minister Fudge trusted Percy implicitly.  He had no reason to doubt Percy's loyalty to him because Percy had sided with the Ministry over his entire family.  There was no reason to suspect him of anything.  At first, Percy took some satisfaction from it, but things had gotten too quiet for his taste.

Percy wrestled with himself.  He thought of talking to his father again, so that he could get information about the Order of the Phoenix.  At least, he would have something to offer his supervisors.  Percy did not know if he could talk to his father again.  Not after all the idiotic things he had said.  Percy knew that his father made frequent attempts to make eye contact with him ever since the attack at the Ministry that revealed to the world that Voldemort had returned.

_What Father doesn't know is that it's better that he doesn't talk to me.  What I'm doing could get everyone in the family killed.  I don't want anyone else to get hurt.  He already got hurt because he was working for the Order.  I'm protecting the family in my own way.  I can't afford to allow myself to be distracted.  Father wants me to talk to him, but I can't.  I won't put them in danger.  They'll just have to think that I'm a horrible human being.  I'll let them think that before I let anything happen to them.  I'll be hated by my own family before I see them killed because of me.  I don't care if they never speak to me again._

These were the thoughts that attacked Percy's brain on a regular basis, but he refused to use a Pensieve to clear them.  He had to use other methods instead.  Percy buried himself in his work as a defense mechanism.  It was his way of controlling his environment.  It was only an illusion, but it was enough to keep him going.

Last December, Percy heard the news that his father had been attacked by a snake.  The attack had been so bad that his father had to be rushed to St. Mungo's.  Percy thought of visiting him, but he did not right away.  Rather, Percy went to the hospital and inquired about his father's condition, but never made a visit.  He felt bad about it, but there was nothing he could really do.

As soon as his father had returned to work, Percy watched his father from a good distance and was happy to see that he was all right.  Percy was an excellent actor.  Worthy of an award.  He was very good at deceiving people.  A talent that he wished he could be more proud of.  

There was also Harry Potter.  Percy made a big show of making it look like he supported the Ministry.  He had to.  Minister Fudge and all of his underlings were wondering where Percy's loyalties lay.  Percy wrote a long winded letter to Ron, warning him about Harry.  He had done that for two reasons: to prove his loyalty and to protect his brother. 

In recent time, Percy took a dislike to Harry.  There was so much danger surrounding him.  Percy always thought that Ron would get hurt around him.  Now, Percy was concerned about Ginny also getting hurt or worse.  Percy thought it was rather dishonorable of Harry Potter to put people's lives in danger when it was his battle and his alone.  At least, Percy never put anybody's life in danger in his work, especially people who cared about him.  Percy meant almost every word he had written about Harry in the letter he had sent to Ron.  Percy doubted that Ron would heed his warning.  

Percy entered the hidden network that he had been allowed accessed to.  He typed in his codename and password, and was just about to send his report in when he heard the doorbell.  It startled him for a moment because he was not used to receiving any guests.  Percy quickly canceled the connection before getting up from his chair to answer the door.  

He looked through the peephole to see someone dressed in a uniform.  Percy had no idea what that meant, so he opened the door very carefully.  "Hello, I'm from the Penn Telegram Office.  I'm here to deliver a telegram to you.  Are you P.I. Weasley?" asked the very friendly deliveryman.  Percy gave a quick nod.  The man offered the telegram to him.  Percy took it and was just about to shut the door before the deliveryman stopped him, "Wait, I need you to sign this."  He handed a clipboard to Percy.  It was one of those odd Muggle clip boards that had a computer chip built into it.  Percy had never received any Muggle packages, let alone a telegram, in his entire life.  Furthermore, he looked at the stylus doubtfully; he knew how Muggle pens worked, but he had never seen a stylus before.  However, a minute had passed, so Percy signed the electronic clipboard without question.  To his amazement, his signature appeared on the line, but somewhat distorted.  The deliveryman tapped the brim of his hat and said, "Have a good evening, Mr. Weasley."  

Percy carefully closed the door and locked it.  He looked at the telegram suspiciously.  It was not a howler, but he had no idea what was in it.  He brought it with him to his office and decided to send off his report instead.  Percy logged on to the system's secure line again.  He submitted his report and waited for a message in his electronic mail.  "E-mail", as the Muggles more commonly called it, was an amazing invention.  Percy marveled at it because it was faster than sending an owl, which is why Percy had left Hermes at the Ministry's owlery during the day.  It would have also looked more suspicious to his neighbors, if he had an owl.  

To Percy's surprise, he received two messages.  One was the usual message to confirm that his report had been sent to the system, which he quickly deleted.  The second, was an e-mail from the main offices.  It read as followed:__

_It has been confirmed that you are fully qualified to be placed into the field.  You will be contacted with further information.  A notice has already been delivered to you.  Please open it as soon as possible._

That was how the message appeared.  Percy reread the message again and looked at the envelope he had placed on the small table where the printer sat.  He picked it up and read the edges to open it properly.  A thick, small piece of paper fell onto his lap.  He picked it up to look at it.

It was a ticket.  More importantly, it was a ticket to a Muggle musical concert.  Percy opened the rest of the telegram up to read it.  The message read as followed, "_You are humbly invited to this event.  Please dress appropriately._"

Percy looked at the ticket to see where the concert was being held.  He deleted the second message in his e-mail before emptying out the trash can and logging out of the system.  He did a brief search of information on the theater that he had to go to and found that it was a classical arts theater a lot of high society Muggles attend.  Percy realized he was going to have to have some Muggle formal wear.

Percy was excited.  Finally, he would have a chance to go into the field.  It had about a year before he was deemed worthy enough.  He wanted nothing more than a chance to prove himself.  He was just as brave any member of his family.  He was a Gryffindor.  It was now his time to prove it.

The night of the concert came.  It was summer in London and many elitist Muggles arrived to take in the culture.  They were dressed for a concert that was to be given by a renowned violist and cellist by the name of Sidney Nelsen.  She was considered one of the most talented musicians in the world.  High society from all over the world gathered in London for her concert.  Her concerts were getting rare and too far in between.  Some believe that she had burned out because of the stress, but others said that she was making herself a rare commodity by not playing so many concerts.  Her talent was considered as rare as gold.  

This was the information that Percy had gathered on the concert.  He was dressed in a fine tuxedo that he had just purchased the previous day.  It had been tailored in a Muggle shop to fit his tall, thin form.  He went for the traditional black tux.  Percy did not wear his glasses when he was doing his extra work.  It showed a distinct separation in his personality.  When he wore his glasses, Percy was the model employee of the Ministry of Magic.  When he didn't wear them, he was himself.  

Percy had a noble bearing, which made it easy for him to blend in.  He appeared to have the same blue blood that they had.  Percy did not feel out of place in the midst of so many Muggles.  He had gotten used to them because he lived among them.  The Muggle world was notas small as the wizarding world.  Going into the Muggle world, was like entering a universe.  In this world, the Weasley name did not mean much.  It was a neutral.  Percy preferred it that way.  At least, he could build himself up on his own terms without his family's history.

Percy handed his ticket over to the usher.  He tore off the top and told Percy, "This is for a private box."  Percy did not betray his surprise.  "You're probably an associate of Lord Wallace.  It's his box.  Would you like me to show you to his box?" added the usher.   

"You could say that," said Percy.  "Yes, please show me the way."  He followed the usher to the private box.  He found that the view from it was spectacular.  Percy chided himself for being surprised that Lord Wallace had a private box in a Muggle theater.  Lord Wallace's influence was wide spread in the Muggle world, while he isolated himself in the wizarding world.  "This is it," said the usher.

"Thank you," said Percy as he took his seat.  He could see everyone from the box.  He saw the crowds of people waiting for the performance to begin.  Percy glanced at his watch.  He had no idea how this whole thing was supposed to work.  The lights dimmed, leaving light on the stage. 

The sound of an electric violin filled the silence trailed by other instruments.  The music started softly.  The spotlight shone on a solitary figure on the stage.  It was a young woman a few years older than Percy.  She was beautiful by both Muggle and wizarding standards.  Her eyes were closed, but the music was mesmerizing.  The intoxication filled Percy's senses.  

He wasn't the only one who was affected by violinist.  People stared at the stage with glazed eyes.  They were in a moment of rapture.  The air felt sweeter in the theater.  Percy had a startling thought that jolted him out of reverie.  _Is she using magic?  I've never seen anyone have this effect on people before.  _Percy felt his senses kick into high gear.  He felt very anxious before the first piece was done.  Towards the end of the first piece, Percy finally recognize her.  _That's Sidney Nelsen.  She was Head Girl the year I came to Hogwarts._

A thunderous amount of applause filled entire theater.  Percy reluctantly joined in.  He looked around him, wondering where his contact was.  He felt his patience wear thin as he waited for the next piece.  Just how long was he going to have to sit there and wait for something to happen?  How much longer?  

The concert continued, much to Percy's consternation.  His discomfort only increased when intermission was called.  Percy wondered why he was even there.  Not that he did not enjoy the atmosphere.  For some odd reason, the Muggles were looking at him strangely because they had heard he was attending the concert in Lord Wallace's box.  Lord Wallace was a big name in high society.

Percy knew that Lord Wallace was the owner of a Muggle publication firm along with other smaller companies.  The profits from those companies funded Lord Wallace's real project.  Hardly anyone knew anything about Lord Prometheus Wallace.  He was an exclusive man.  Percy knew very little about Lord Wallace's background.  The only thing he knew for certain was that Lord Wallace could have easily rivaled both Dumbledore and Voldemort in power.  Perhaps, that was the reason why Lord Wallace had his own organization.  

Percy sighed as he attempted to make his way back to the box, but the usher prevented him.  "Here is a message for you," said the usher as he offered him an envelope.  Percy accepted it, but did not open it until he had return to his box.  He knew that there was more privacy there.  He opened it and found a piece of neat stationery inside.  The message instructed him to stay after the concert, but gave nothing more.  Percy supposed he would have to stay in the box after the concert.  He sighed with relief.  At least, his contact had finally given word to him.  He would only have to wait a bit longer.

Finally, the house lights came back on to allow the audience to exit the theater without tripping.  Percy waited a bit longer.  He did not move from his spot, his eyes remained focused on the stage.  He was very startled when someone Apparated in the seat next to him.  He turned to see who it was.  

It was the violinist.  Sidney Nelsen.  She was even more beautiful up close.  She had a small smile tugging at her soft, pink lips.  "You are Omega, I assume," she whispered, calling Percy by his codename.

"And who are you?" 

"They call me Aura."

"Aura," whispered Percy, feeling out her name in his mouth.  "I was told to meet with you."

"And so you are.  I am your handler.  My duty is to train you for the field.  You will answer directly to me," said Sidney.  Her voice was calm.  Her manner serene, but underneath she had an undercurrent of sensuality that most men were not immune to.  Percy could feel that energy emanating from her, filling his senses.  This was a woman not to be trifled with.  Her voice had a sensuous edge that sent a shiver down his spine.

Percy nodded as she bestowed a dazzling smile upon him.  He had a warm feeling in his chest.  "I look forward to working with you.  I want to see what kind of man you are," said Sidney.  "You may also called me Sidney if you like."

Percy nodded, "But, you also know who I am, right?"

"Of course, you're a Weasley," said Sidney.  "I've heard of your family.  I must say I didn't expect a Weasley to be a member."

"You mean you expected me to be a member of the Order," said Percy without any annoyance.  He had plenty of annoyance towards himself, but he did not really like it from other people.  He didn't like people judging him just because he was a Weasley.  Wistfully, he wished he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix from time to time, but he never allowed himself to think about it for more than a moment.

"No.  That's not what I was going to say.  You work for the Ministry of Magic.  He typically doesn't like people who work for the Ministry, but I suppose it works.  It allows you to get information for us," said Sidney.  "And you being a Weasley will be even more helpful."

"How?" asked Percy.

"We need information on the movements of the Order of the Phoenix," replied Sidney.  Percy's eyes opened slightly wider.  He shook his head quickly.  "You mean you don't want to?" Her voice hinted of amusement.  

"I don't know if I can get any information.  It would be easier to send in another agent," said Percy quickly.  "My family does not think very highly of me at this moment."

"It's not your family you need to get through. It's Dumbledore," Sidney pointed out.  "We can get information on the Death Eaters just fine.  It's the Order that we can't touch.   You are the only one with a connection to the Order."

Percy stopped himself from scowling.  They only wanted him for his connections to both the Ministry and the Order.  "If you are not interested, then you can wait for another mission," said Sidney simply.  Her hypnotic gaze never left him.  

She knew that he did not like the sound of that at all.  Percy considered it very carefully.  It would be harder for them to find an agent who could get inside.  Percy already had the inside track, but he doubted that his own family trusted him.  He doubted that he would be accepted.  "Can I think about it?" he requested.

Sidney nodded.  Percy stood up to leave.  "I'll be in touch," she said as she rose to get up.  "Good night, Mr. Weasley.  Omega."  She has whispered the last word.  Her voice had a lingering effect on Percy.

As soon as the effect had passed, Percy was thinking.  Could he do it?  Could he do something even worse to his family?  When did he become even capable of considering it?  He sighed as he rose to his feet.  He wasn't going to find the answer to those questions any time soon.

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: I had to modify parts of it to fit more with the facts from the fifth book.  Percy proves to become more complex as I write this.  I am not making him better or perfect from the original.  No, I am making him more complex with intricate flaws that are hard to understand, even for him.  Sidney will probably be one of my most complex original characters; she is a woman who is flawed.  Both of them, give an air of perfection or at least try to.  Percy appears that way in the Ministry, while Sidney displays herself as a consummate musician and performer.  However, it is their "day jobs," so it is merely a set of elaborate illusions.  They are an interesting pair.  Odd, how I am setting this up. 

kirikarin.livejournal.com

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.  


	4. A Way In

Veritas

Part One: Dawning on the Horizon

Chapter Three - A Way In

It was very hot in the Burrow, but Ron Weasley found it delightful.  He was lounging around on the roof of his house.  His mum would have killed him if she had known what he was up to, but luckily she was distracted.  On second thought, it wasn't a good thing that Ron's mother was distracted.  She would not have been if there were not so many important meetings to attend, like the one that was fast approaching.

Ron came up to the rooftop of the Burrow as soon as he was done sending off a letter to his best friend, Harry Potter, who was currently residing with his aunt and uncle.  Ron had written Harry a report of what was going on, for as much as he could tell anyway.  Ron knew that their other best friend, Hermione Granger, was doing the same thing.  After every letter sent, Ron went to the rooftop to distract himself.  He was thinking about how his best friend was doing.  

Harry Potter was not the same after the incident that had taken place just before the end of the school year.  There was more tension in the air as the wizards prepared themselves for another battle with Voldemort.  Harry had lost his godfather, Sirius Black, in one of the attacks.  Ron did not really ask about it.  He knew better.  All he could do was be available when Harry needed someone to talk to.

There was something else that was troubling the Weasley family.  It was their missing member, Percy.  Ron did not think that highly of his third oldest brother at the moment.  He personally did not care whether or not Percy ever talked to them ever again, but Ron was worried about his mother.  She was sad because of Percy's actions.  Part of Ron wanted Percy just to talk to their mother, another part of him thought that they were better off without Percy.

"Ron, get off the roof.  Mum and Dad are home," whispered Ginny, his little sister.  She looked rather frantic.  Ron had already been yelled at for being on the roof.  He climbed back inside.  It was not that high up.  All he had to do was scale the side and get past the attic window without the ghoul seeing him.  "Okay, okay.  Ginny, don't worry about it," he told her.  

"If you fall down and break your neck, I'll get in trouble, too," said Ginny quite annoyed with him.  "Let's go.  The meeting is tonight."

Ron and Ginny hurried downstairs to find not only their parents, but their older brothers, Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George.  They were smiling at them.  "What have you two been up to?" asked their mother as she looked over them to make sure they were fine.  It had become a ritual for her to that.

"Nothing," chorused Ron and Ginny.  

"I'm glad that you're back from Egypt," said Ginny happily as she hugged Bill.  He embraced her.

"Missed your girlfriend, didn't you?" teased Fred.  Bill gave him a look of annoyance.  

"It's been pretty boring here.  Is Harry going to be there?" asked Ron.

"We'll have to see," said Molly.  "Now, let's see if we could get settled for dinner, shall we?"

Bill and Charlie separated themselves from the others, saying that they would set up the tables outside like they normally did.  Fred and George went with Ron and Ginny.  The twins were still living at home, even though they could have moved out.  Fred and George wanted to stay closer to home because they wanted to protect their younger siblings and parents.  Or drive their mother into madness as Ron accused them of trying to do.  Fred had teasingly said, "I want to stay here forever and ever and ever…"

Molly said it would be fine if they wanted to move out.  Part of the problem was the twins had a tendency to bring home their work from their shop in Diagon Alley.  It truly was driving her mad.

Meanwhile, Arthur was told to relax by his wife.  He agreed because he was tired.  Bill and Charlie discussed the topic or person who was taboo in the house at the moment, Percy.  "Did you get an answer back from him?" asked Charlie quietly.

"Yes, he said he was busy," replied Bill.  He looked around to make sure that no one was listening to them.  "He's still being very stubborn about the whole thing."

"I think he's embarrassed.  Imagine being proven wrong on such a grand scale.  He really did make a prat of himself.  Remember all the things he had said to the _Daily Prophet_?" Charlie reminded him.

"I know, but Dad's ready to talk to him.  I heard Mum and Dad talking about it earlier.  Percy won't look at him.  He retracted the statement he had given to the paper already, but he's still not talking to Mum and Dad," said Bill with a sigh.  

"Percy's probably scared as well.  I mean look at Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny.  They weren't as understanding about the whole thing as we are.  Why is that?" wondered Charlie out loud.

Bill flicked his wand to make table cloths appear out of thin air.  "Because as much as Percy was annoying, they looked up to him, Charlie.  That's why.  I was hoping that we'd be all together as soon as the truth came out, but I guess I was wrong."

"Dinner's ready!" called Molly, signaling the end of their conversation.  Bill and Charlie glanced at each other.  "We're ready," they called out.

Everyone trooped over to the backyard.  Bill took his usual seat next to his mother and Ginny.  He did not like to look at the end of the table where his father sat.  Percy always took his seat next to their father.  The place next to their father's right had remained vacant.  Bill glanced at Charlie.  He had been the one who made the chairs appear.  It was hard to forget that they did not need the extra one.  

"I can't believe how much of a hit our shop is," said Fred as he discussed business with their father.  "Actually, we're still testing out some of the stuff.  Maybe, you'd like a summer job, Ron.  Ginny."

"I don't think so.  If I'm going to get a job, I'll get one somewhere else," said Ron.  

"What are you afraid of?" asked George.

"You're right.  I am afraid because I know what you're capable of," said Ron as he turned away from the twins.

"How are things going with Fleur?" asked Ginny.

"Fine.  Everything's going fine," replied Bill as he smiled a bit.  Charlie was the only one who knew about Sidney Nelsen, but he never mentioned her after she had broken up with Bill.  Percy was only a first year, so he was not paying much attention to anything other than his studies.  There was no point in telling the family about it.  Although, their mother wondered why Bill seemed depressed after school had ended. 

"I'm just glad to hear that.  Perhaps, we'll meet with her family soon," said Mrs. Weasley.  Bill could feel his ears turn red.

He really did not want to do that.  Bill did not know if his relationship with Fleur would last for long.  He was skeptical because his previous relationships did not last all that long to begin with.  The longest one he had was the one with Sidney.  It was the relationship he had hoped would last, but since it did not, Bill had a hard time believing such things existed.  "We'll wait on that, Mum," he said quickly.

Charlie glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.  Even though he never mentioned Sidney, he would hint at it every once in a while.  Luckily for Bill, there was an interruption in the form of an owl.  It was Percy's owl, Hermes.  The owl flew straight for their father.

Arthur gaped at the bird in surprise.  Hermes stuck out his leg to present the letter that was tied to it.  It was addressed to Mr. Weasley.  Everyone was silent.  Molly looked as if she was holding her breath.  Arthur stared at his wife for a moment before taking the letter from Hermes.  He opened it and read the note quickly.

"What does it say, Arthur?" asked Molly anxiously.  "What did he write?"

"He's written an invitation to meet with me for lunch tomorrow," whispered Arthur.  "That's all he wrote."

The other children looked at each other.  Fred, George, and Ron wore identical scowls, while Ginny looked very surprised.  Bill and Charlie remained expressionless.  Ron was the first to speak up, "So, he wants to meet with you?  Why should you?"  His voice was wrought with anger.  There were murmurs of agreement from the twins.  

It was the wrong thing to say at that moment, especially for Molly.  Her face screwed up with anger as well.  "He can come home, if he wants to.  It's his choice, Ron.  And he will be welcomed in this house.  Always," she said.  "The clock always says that he's at work.  He's practically living at work."

"I don't understand why we should let him just come home like that.  Not after all the things he's done!" exclaimed Fred angrily.

"Yeah, imagine him saying that Umbridge could be trusted.  We were almost whipped," added George, just as angrily.  

"Calm down," ordered Bill in a calm voice.  "Are you going to meet with him, Dad?"

Arthur looked at the letter again.  "Yes, I will meet with him.  He's finally decided he wants to talk.  It's not right for me to slap him down.  He just made a mistake.  Everyone is capable of doing that."

"That was a big mistake," interjected Ron.  "Why do you even have to meet with him?  He didn't care about what happened for the whole year to us.  And he didn't even bother visiting you in St. Mungo's."

"I believe it is my choice whether or not I want to meet with your brother, Ron," said Arthur calmly.  He folded the letter and made a piece of parchment appear out of thin air.  He took his quill out of his pocket and wrote a reply.  Hermes was standing on the top of Percy's chair, waiting for Arthur to tie the reply on his leg.  Arthur offered some bread, which Hermes took, while he wrote his answer.  He tied it to Hermes' leg.  

Dinner went back to normal, but there was some added tension in the air.  Arthur and Molly were happy to hear from Percy after all the time that had past.  Bill and Charlie felt that they had accomplished something in getting Percy to talk, while the others had their misgivings.  

Percy was pacing back and forth in his office at the Ministry.  He had sent Hermes with his letter some time ago.  He was nervously waiting for an answer.  Would his father even send a reply?  Would he agree to meet with him?  What was he going to say when he met with his father?  Percy didn't expect forgiveness.

He did not want it.  Not after what he had done, especially for what he was going to do.  Percy shook his head of such thoughts.  He could not afford to do that.  His training had only began a few days ago.  The mission was now in action.  He realized that Sidney was careful not to tell him too much.  Percy realized despite the discipline he had, Sidney had told him that he lacked the ability to block others mentally.

Percy had thought that his training was over when he had finished Hogwarts.  It turned out that his education was only beginning.  He was purposely left alone, but he had no idea why.  Why had not he been trained before?  Didn't anyone in the world trust him?  Of course not.  Who would trust him.  No one in their right mind should trust them.  Even the people he really worked for, did not trust them.  He had given up a lot of things and betrayed others.  No one trusted him.  

Hermes gave a loud squawk after watching his owner pace back and forth for a good five minutes.  Percy turned and walked up to him.  "Thanks, Hermes.  Go back to the owlery.  That's all I needed from you tonight," he said.  Hermes gave him a reassuring nip on his fingers before leaving.  Percy stared at the note for a moment.  He ran his fingers over his father's handwriting before opening it.  

He read the note very carefully and swallowed.  His father had agreed to meet with him.  A warm feeling filled Percy, followed by a feeling of dread.  He had no idea how that was going to go.  Percy had made the invitation.  He realized that he could have some control.  Where would he take his father to talk?

Percy first thought of the cafeteria at the Minister, but quickly discounted it.  There would have been too many eyes on them; it was no secret to the other employees that Percy and his father were not getting along.  There was always the Leaky Cauldron, but Percy did not want to meet there.  He could have selected a high-end restaurant, but the point was he had to humble himself.  An idea formed in Percy's mind.  There was a little diner that Percy went to sometimes when he did not feel like making something for himself; he was trying to master Muggle cooking and sometimes things did not turn out too well.  Percy had to go to the Muggle establishment.  The owner knew him well because he got some tips on her on what he had done wrong.  Going to the restaurant seemed like a good idea.

The restaurant was a little diner by the name of Francis'.  It was a Muggle place and his father would like going there.  Percy decided to take his father there; there was no point in his father, knowing that he lived in the area.  He was not going to have to explain anything.  Percy knew that this was going to take time.  He should not expect much from this first meeting.  

Percy wrote out a memo to send to his father's department, telling him to meet him where the fountain used to be.  The fountain had not been replaced yet.  Percy sighed.  He had only stayed in the office because he needed to use Hermes and needed to wait for the answer.  He picked up the memo as he walked out of his office and shut the door.  He locked it and kept walking until he reached the mailboxes; they were used when the Ministry employees had gone for the day and the flying memos would not be able to reach their destinations.  He found his father's right above his and slipped the memo carefully inside.  His fingers brushed against the nameplate for a moment before he continued down the hall.

Percy Apparated home to get some rest.  He was working two jobs.  His fake job and his real job.  He was paid for both.  It was the only way he could afford to live in the nice flat he was in.  He had an added expense account for his real job.  It paid for all the equipment he needed.  Percy would have to send a report to Sidney.

"You look different without glasses.  I think I like you better without them.  They don't really accentuate your eyes," commented Sidney.  

Percy looked at her with surprise.  He whipped off his glasses.  "What are you doing here?  How did you get in here?  Why are you here?"

"Which question do you want me to answer first?"

"It doesn't matter.  Answer them all."

"Okay.  I am here for a report from you, which answers your what and why questions.  As for how?  My secret, but I'll tell you one thing: I didn't apparate in," said Sidney.  "Pretty nice place you've got here.  You should consider putting in more protective wards."

"I am seriously considering it right at this very moment," said Percy.  "I suppose I don't have to send an official report.  I can just tell you what's happened."

"That would be nice, but I thought I would come here and look around.  You know a person based on how they use their personal space."

"Really?" asked Percy sarcastically.  Sidney brushed her fingertips along the edge of a shelf.  There was not a speck of dust on it.  Everything was neat and tidy.  She was not all that surprised by it.  Her mind wandered for a moment to Bill.

Bill was not as neat as Percy.  Sidney thought that she could figure out Percy because she had known Bill and Charlie when they were in school.  Sidney chided herself from time to time when she was around Percy.  Of course, he would be different from his brothers, vastly different if he was going to be an agent.  

"I notice you don't have any personal things around.  Like photographs.  You do have a selection of books though.  A very nice selection," said Sidney as she traced her finger along the spine of Percy's copy of _The Stranger_.  "Very interesting."

"I can't keep any pictures around here.  I don't have any," admitted Percy.  He did have a picture of Penelope, but he had gotten rid of it.  His flat had to be as Muggle as possible.  He could not have moving wizards' pictures out in the open, even if he did have some of his family.

Suddenly, Percy realized that Sidney was the first guest he had ever had in his apartment.  He never invited his neighbors over because he was too busy and tired to entertain guests.  He had no close friends in either the Muggle or the wizarding world.  His peers at work, the other younger employees, did not think that highly of him, so he did not even consider inviting them over.  Besides, Percy's flat was his own little slice of London.

However, Percy remembered the good manners he was raised with, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Sure.  Whatever you have is fine," replied Sidney.  

Percy went to the kitchen and poured a glass of water for her.  It was spring water.  "That's fine.  No ice," said Sidney as she took it from him.  She took a sip.  "Now, would you mind telling me what happened?" she asked.

Percy reported everything that had happened.  Sidney did not interrupt once, but nodded every once in a while to show that she was listening.  When he was done talking, she said, "So, you're going to meet with your father at this restaurant?  Are you sure you want to?"

"Positive," replied Percy as he nodded.  "It's just around the corner from my flat.  The first flat that my mum visited before was in Diagon Alley.  After I was recruited, I was told that I had to move to the Muggle world."

"Your family is different from mine," said Sidney, not saying that his was a pureblood family, while hers was Muggle.  "It must have been quite a culture shock for you."

"Yes, it was," admitted Percy.  "I've learned to adjust to things quickly.  It is important in our line of work to do so."

Sidney nodded.  "You will meet with your father, but be careful."

Percy did not disagree with her, "I'll keep my guard up, but I don't think I'll make any real progress in just one meeting.  There will be other things I have to take care of.  Personal matters."

Sidney took another sip of her water before responding to Percy's words, "Just be careful.  Don't get too close to them.  You're just there for information.  That's all.  You can't go home once you've started.  Do you understand?"

"Haven't I done enough to prove my understanding?" asked Percy without any emotion reaching his blue, resolute eyes.  "I'll do the job and I'll get it done.  I just need time."

"Then, you'll have it.  We'll keep you there for as long as necessary," said Sidney.  She stood up.  "I have to go.  I'll be in touch."

Percy watched her leave by Apparating.  As soon as she was gone, he picked up the glass and washed it.  A feeling of exhaustion overwhelmed him.  He glanced at his watch.  It was already midnight.  It was time for some sleep.

Arthur came to work early that morning.  He opened his mailbox to find the memo that Percy had sent him.  He walked over to his office and found his co-worker, Mr. Perkins, already there.  "Good morning, Arthur," he greeted as Mr. Weasley put down his suitcase.  "The Minister has sent a notice just now to meet you for lunch."

"I can't today.  I'm meeting my son," said Arthur.

"Oh?  Which one?" asked Perkins.

"Percy," replied Arthur, thinking it was odd that Minister Fudge wanted to have lunch with him the same day that Percy had selected.  He had no idea that it was a mere coincidence.  Arthur decided that it was more important to meet with Percy than the Minister.

"Really?  He wants to meet with you?" said Perkins, sounding rather amazed.

"Yes, I have no idea why," said Arthur, answering Perkins' question before he could ask it.  He did not really want to think that Percy was up to anything.  He wanted to trust his son.  Arthur wanted to welcome Percy back into the family as soon as possible.  He could not skip the meeting with Percy because he knew that his wife was counting on it.  She was very anxious for anything from Percy; she even went as far as asking about any rumors about their third son.  

Molly wanted to attend the lunch as well, but the invitation was for only Arthur.  He told her that he would return with word as soon as the lunch meeting was over.  Arthur could not believe that it came down to this, meeting with his son as if he were a stranger.  However, Arthur knew how carefully he had to treat this situation, if he wanted his family to be whole again.

The hours passed slowly as Arthur looked at the clock from time to time.  Finally, when the appropriate hour rolled around, Arthur was out of the office before Perkins could even say "See you later."  He went to where the fountain was supposed to be.  He saw that Percy was already waiting for him.  He was looking at the vacant spot.  

"Hello Percy," said Arthur as he walked up to him.  

"Hello Father," greeted Percy.  He did not turn to face him.  "I suppose there's more important things going on these days."  

Arthur stared at him for a moment.  There was something different about Percy.  Something was about his aura that had changed.  Or perhaps, it had been so long since he had seen his son up close.  Percy did not really smile at him.  He looked more mature than he had months ago.  "Are you ready?" asked Percy to fill in the awkward silence.  "I know this little restaurant.  I'm sure you'll like it."

Arthur nodded.  "Sure, let's go," he said as he smiled slightly.  

"Yes," said Percy.  He walked next to his father.  He knew that there were pairs of eyes on him.  "Before we go, I do have something to say," he whispered without looking at his father.

"What is it?" asked Arthur.  He sensed that something was troubling Percy.

Percy faced him finally.  "I wanted to say I was sorry for what I've done," he said in a calm voice.  "I know I don't deserve any forgiveness."  He was about to look away again, but he stopped when he felt the weight of his father's hand on his shoulder.

"You've been through enough," said Arthur.  "Let's get something to eat.  You said I should see this restaurant."

Percy told his father where to apparate to.  It was the same alleyway that Percy Apparated to whenever he came home or went to work.  His father followed him until they were at a little diner.  His father looked around at the people on the street.  "This is a Muggle neighborhood," said Arthur in a lower tone, so that no one could hear him.

"Yes, it is.  I come here often," said Percy.  "I like this restaurant.  The wait is a bit longer than the establishments you're used to, Father, but you'll like it."

Arthur was just delighted to be in a Muggle neighbor in broad daylight.  He followed Percy into the restaurant.  A waitress came up to meet them.  Her name was Nancy, and it was on a tag.  "Hey, you're early.  You're usually here for dinner," she said to Percy.

"I was having lunch with my father today," he explained.  Mr. Weasley looked mildly surprised at Percy knowing the waitress so well.  "Do you have a booth?"

"Of course, your usual booth is free," said Nancy as she gestured for them to follow.  Mr. Weasley followed along, watching the Muggles eat and talk.  "I must say that there's better places to eat other than this place.  You should have taken your father to some place a little more classy."

"No, this is fine," said Arthur cheerfully.  He was looking at the décor as he took a seat in the booth across from Percy.

"I'll bring you some water while you gentlemen decide on what you want to eat," said Nancy as she smiled and left.  

"How long have you been coming here?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"Just over six months," replied Percy.  "What do you feel like having?"

Arthur was surprised.  He did not think that Percy would go off into the Muggle world so freely.  He did not think that Percy was so interested in Muggles.  Hardly, any of his children were interested in Muggles.  In Arthur's eye, Percy was the least likely to take an interest in the Muggles, considering how Minister Fudge felt about them.  

"I'm not sure.  What do you recommend?" asked Arthur.

"I typically just get the fish and chips," replied Percy.  "Although, the pizza is pretty good here.  It's better than most places in London because the proprietor was original from New York City."

Arthur closed his menu.  "Percy, what's happened to you since the news came out?" he asked with concern.  "I was invited to a meeting with the Minister today as well, but I came here instead."

"I should thank you for coming then.  I thought that considering what I've done, you would have preferred the Minister's company over mine.  I had no idea he was going to invite you for a meeting.  I feel as if I have taken you away from some important business.  As for your question, nothing has happened to me.  Do you honestly think I would have told the Minister that I liked being in surroundings like these, knowing what he really was like?"

"You had no problem doing the other things that were expected of you," said Arthur coldly.  

Percy looked up at him.  He sighed as Nancy came by with their water.  She smiled at them, despite the tension she felt from them.  "What would you like to order, Sir?" she asked, turning her attention to Arthur.

"My son recommended your pizza.  I think I'll try that," said Arthur.

"What kind of topping would you like, Sir?" asked Nancy.  Arthur looked bewildered.  Percy responded, "Pepperoni.  Make it a large pizza.  And bring a pitcher of iced tea.  Plain.  Thanks."

"No problem.  It will take about fifteen minutes.  I'll bring you your tea right away along with some breadsticks," said Nancy.

"That's not necessary," said Percy.

"Nah, it's not a problem.  You're practically a regular customer.  Although, you only come here when you're culinary attempts fail," said Nancy with a laugh.  Percy's ears turned slightly red as she left.

"I've been trying to cook," explained Percy.  "It's harder than it looks.  Trying to cook their way.  I haven't been that successful at times.  I am getting better though.  Don't tell Mum about it, please."

Arthur had a smile on his face.  It was amusing to hear about Percy trying to cook, but he had no idea that he was trying to cook the Muggle way.  "Are you going to come home anytime soon?" he asked.

"No, I have my own place," said Percy.  "I don't think that I'm all that welcomed."

"You are.  Your mother and I want you to come for a visit, Percy."

"You and Mum might, but I'm sure that everyone else will mind.  I think it's best that I keep my distance for now.  I just wanted to talk to you.  I've made some very ridiculous mistakes in the past year.  Very stupid.  I'm more upset about it than anyone else.  I just don't think I can go home right now.  I'm sorry."

Arthur knew it was not going to be easy.  "Look, you've admitted to your mistakes. You've proven that you're brave enough to do that.  Your brothers and sister miss you.  I think you should talk to them.  Don't just send a letter."

Percy swallowed.  He was forgetting what he was supposed to be doing.  He was supposed to be getting inside the Order of the Phoenix.  He knew that Bill and Charlie were members for sure, and that Fred and George were also helping.  If he could get in good with them, then he could get the information he was after.

A mantra went through his head.  It was the one that he had drilled into him when he was first recruited.  _You must sacrifice yourself.  You must sacrifice what defines you.  _Percy cleared his mind immediately.  Sidney was right.  He needed more discipline.  He looked at his father and sighed, "Are you sure about that?"  He did not want too look too eager.  

"They'll forgive you, if you give them enough time," insisted Arthur.  "I know.  Your mother and I raised you all very well."

Percy sighed.  "I'm not sure about going home.  I don't doubt that they're angry with me.  I was so blind and stupid."  That wasn't a lie.  The time he figured out the truth was much sooner than most would have thought.

"The more you put it off, the worse it will get," said Arthur.

"Maybe, I was sorted into the wrong house," muttered Percy.  _Yes.  I think I was.  In order for me to be this sneaky, I should have been put into Slytherin.  Come on, Father.  Don't trust me so easily.  Just stop me._  He snapped out of those thoughts again.  

"No, you didn't," said Arthur.  "The fact that you're doing the right thing now means you were put into the right house.  Please come home for a visit.  Your mother wants you to come home for a visit, so do I.  Never mind them.  They'll come around just like you did.  You need to be the one to take the first step."

Before Percy could say something, the pizza had arrived.  It was piping hot, but it smelled absolutely scrumptious.  Another waitress had come in with a pitcher of iced tea and two glasses. Nancy set down plates that she carried underneath the pizza in front of them.  "Here you go.  Enjoy," said Nancy as she left.  "I'll come back and check if you want anything else."

Arthur looked at the pizza.  "This is odd," he commented.  He watched Percy pick up a slice and put it on his plate.  "Be careful, it's hot.  Some people like it cold, but I prefer it hot," said Percy.  Arthur took a slice and took a bite out of it.  He chewed on it for a moment before saying, "It's delicious.  Very good."

"Yes.  There are many things I like about this world," said Percy. 

"You were kind enough to invite me out to lunch, Son.  I would like to extend an invitation to you.  Come to the house for a visit," said Arthur.  "Please."

"I'll come," whispered Percy reluctantly.  "Just don't tell them.  Just tell Mum, but not the others.  I won't stay for long."  _Perhaps, I am a coward after all._

Percy saw the look on his father's face.  He wanted nothing more but to go over there because he was a member of the family.  He knew that he was not.  It was not because of his past actions.  It was what he was going to do.  _This is something I can't even forgive myself for.  I have a choice.  This is my choice.  _

_My choice._

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: I said that Percy wasn't going to be portrayed in a better light here.  Percy isn't fully trained yet.  He's still starting out.  There's a reason why.  It goes deeper than him being a spy in the Ministry.  Percy will be tested as he seeks to understand why he's doing the things he's doing.  It will be a twisty road.  By the way, the part where Percy is always at work is true.  Percy is working two jobs.  ^_^

kirikarin.livejournal.com

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.  


	5. The Stranger

Veritas

Part One: Dawning on the Horizon

Chapter Four - The Stranger

Arthur returned from his lunch with Percy with mixed feelings.  He thought about how wonderful it was that Percy was exploring more of the Muggle world than any of his other children.  However, another part of Arthur Weasley was startled at the changes he had seen in Percy.  It was as if he was meeting another person.  A new person.

Reflecting back in his memories, Arthur thought about how different Percy was from the other children.  He always followed the rules, but there was something there.  Something gleaming in his eye.  Was it a spark of something else?  Arthur did not know what to think.  He wanted to just be grateful that his son was back.  However, he could not doubt that there was something wrong.  Or different.  Or maybe, he was seeing something that wasn't there.  Perhaps, it had simply been too long since he had seen his son.  Or maybe, Arthur's work with the Order made him suspicious of everything around him, even his own son.  

"Dad, how did it go?" asked Charlie as he stuck his head into the office.  Seeing that Perkins was not there before, he stepped inside.  "How is he?"

Arthur looked up at him and smiled.  "Your brother is fine.  Different, but I think he's fine."

"Different?" asked Charlie as he shut the door behind him.  He took a seat in Perkins' desk.  "What do you mean different?"

"For one thing, I just came back from lunch in a Muggle restaurant.  Percy goes there often," said Arthur.  "I had something called pizza.  Percy said it was Italian."

"Yes, I've had that before.  But, a Muggle restaurant?  Is he really that much different?" asked Charlie.  Percy was always a little different, but it was hard to imagine him going out to Muggle places.

"I don't know what to make of it.  I did convince him to come home for a visit," said Arthur.  "I'm only telling you and your mother.  You can tell Bill if you want, but not your other brothers and sister.  I know that they might be prepared to push him away."

Charlie nodded in agreement.  "At least he's coming home.  I suppose we can ask about what he's been doing when he comes over."  He smiled.  "Dad, try not to look too much into it.  Of course, he's changed.  A lot has changed lately."

"I suppose you're right," said Arthur with a slight smile.

Percy returned to his office to find a memo from the Minister of Magic waiting for him.  He did not look that surprised.  Lately, the Minister was relying on him.  Percy had a good idea as to why.  It was easier to blame someone else on his incompetence.  True, Percy was the one who had written those comments about Hogwarts for the Minister, but he was only taking dictation from others.  He was literally writing down the words, but they were not his.  Minister Fudge had them submitted to make it appear to discredit anyone who opposed the Ministry's views.  It was a way to discredit Percy's father and the rest of the Order.  One could only imagine Percy's horror when he opened up the _Daily Prophet_ that morning.

He suppressed a sigh as he walked towards the office of the Minister, which was only a few steps down from his.  Percy entered the open office.  "You wanted to speak with me, Sir?" he asked.

Minister Fudge looked up from his mountains of paperwork.  He looked up at Percy.  It was fairly obvious that the Minister had not been getting much sleep.  His eyes were underlined with dark circles and his cheeks looked hollow.  Minister Fudge mopped his brow with a handkerchief.  "Oh, yes, Mr. Weasley.  Please come in," he said in a startled tone.

"Would you like me to close the door, Sir?" asked Percy.

"That's not necessary.  I just wanted to call upon you because I had invited your father to meet with me, but he said that he met with you instead," said the Minister.

"We only went to go and eat, Sir.  My apologies if I got in the way, Sir," said Percy.  He really was not sorry, but it was hard to tell.  Minister Fudge was never good at reading people.  It was a surprise that he rose to Minister of Magic.  Percy was very good at reading people.  He could adjust very easily.  

"Nonsense.  Of course, you can meet with your father, if you wish.  May I ask what you discussed?" asked Minister Fudge, trying to look either casual or sly about it.

"We talked about family matters, Sir," said Percy.  "As you may have already heard, my father and I haven't been on speaking terms in a while, Sir."

"Yes, yes.  I've heard.  Did your father and you discuss anything else?" asked Minister Fudge.  Percy kept his expression as neutral as possible.  It was not any of the Minister's business, but Percy had to mentally bite his tongue to keep himself from saying what he really thinking.  He was an expert at it. 

"Nothing other than that, Sir," replied Percy.  "Do you need me to do some work for you?  Is there anything else I could help you with, Sir?"  He decided to change the subject.  It was the usual tactic that Percy used with Minister Fudge.  Percy was a good student of human nature.  He had the ability to get into the mindset of most anyone without any magical aids.  It was a natural talent.

"No, not right now.  Actually, it's come to my attention that you haven't been taking any time off, Mr. Weasley.  In fact, you haven't had a day off since you started to work for this department," said Minister Fudge.

Percy decided to look surprised.  Of course, he knew that he had not taken any time off.  He could not because he had to stay on top of things.  He was the only informant within the Ministry's top offices.  He had to be there, even though he was on another mission, he still had to keep an eye on the Ministry.

"There has been a lot going on, Sir.  I cannot in all good conscience leave you without any assistance.  If anything, I recommend that you take some time off, Sir," said Percy, turning the situation around.

"I am more indispensable than you, Mr. Weasley.  We are all working tirelessly because of You-Know-Who," said Minister Fudge.  "I need the people under me to be in top form.  I insist that you take some time off.  According to the files, you've accumulated quite period of time.  You haven't taken any of it."

Percy shook his head.  "Sir, I really do not need any time off."  He could tell that he was starting to lose ground.

"Take a week off, Mr. Weasley.  It is obvious that you've been working too hard, if you don't feel the need after so much has occurred," ordered Minister Fudge gently.

The only thing Percy could do was nod.  If he tried to do anything else, his cover would be blown.  He needed Fudge's trust.  "Thank you, Sir," he said. 

"Very well.  You're dismissed for the rest of day.  Oh, and tell your father that I said hello," said Minister Fudge as Percy exited the office.

He looked mildly stunned.  How was he going to explain this to his handler?  He looked around him.  What if something happened and he was not there to report it?  What was he going to do?  He could not give up on his duties.  He was only working in the Ministry to report the movements within.  There was not anything to report.  There had not been anything hidden or unnoticeable to report in months, but Percy couldn't just leave for a week.  He walked back to his office.

Percy looked around and started to pack up his things for the day.  A thought came to him.  What if someone knew he what he was really doing and plotted for him to have some time off?  He looked around him.  He was startled from his thoughts when he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Who is it?" asked Percy after a moment's silence.

"It's Charlie."

"Come in," said Percy without a second thought.  He could not turn his brother away if he had hopes of getting information on the Order.  Percy knew that Charlie was a member of it, so there might a chance that he could get some information.  He opened the door to let his older brother in.  "How have you been?" he asked.  "Have a seat."

"I'm fine.  I was wondering more about you.  You seem to be working hard," commented Charlie.  His eyes did a quick sweep of the room.  Everything was neat and organized.  There was only a small stack of parchment on his desk.  There were no personal effects on his desk, not even plants.  

"Perhaps, I just got a week off.  Minister Fudge found out that I haven't taken anytime off in over a year," announced Percy, while keeping his face expressionless.  "It's a bad time to take off though, especially with what's been going on around here."

Charlie's face brightened at the news.  "That's wonderful, Percy!" he exclaimed.

"Good, for your further enjoyment, why don't I try to Apparate incorrectly and splice myself?" quipped Percy sarcastically.  Charlie gaped at him.  It was very uncharacteristic for Percy to be sarcastic; it was something that Ron would do, but not Percy.  "I'm sorry, Charlie.  I am under a lot of stress," he added immediately when he noticed the look on Charlie's face.  He rubbed the bridge of his nose, lifting his glasses slightly.

"You could come home and rest up there," suggested Charlie.  "Mum really misses you."

Percy shook his head.  "I can't do that.  I don't deserve to come home yet," he whispered as he looked out the window.  True, he knew what he was seeing was an illusion, but he enjoyed the view no less.  At least, he knew it wasn't real.  

"That's nonsense.  You're my brother.  Bill and I don't care what you've done wrong.  You've already said you were sorry, didn't you?" 

Without turning, Percy responded, "I did.  I don't understand why you, Bill, and our parents are so quick to forgive.  I wouldn't forgive myself so quickly.  I haven't yet.  I can't forgive myself."  _Especially with the choice I've made.  I'm a liar.  A betrayer.  I am betraying my own family._  

Charlie sighed.  "Look, I don't want to spend my entire life mad at you, Percy.  It is a waste of energy.  You made a mistake.  You're only human.  You've admitted you're wrong.  And you're sorry.  You can't keep beating yourself up," he told Percy.  

"I walk by Fred and George's shop once in a while, Charlie.  I pick up my robes at the cleaners there.  It's right next to their shop.  I saw them once inside.  They saw me, but they turned away right away.  I saw Bill.  He tried to smile at me, but I turned away before I could see it," said Percy.  "I know what I did was not only wrong, Charlie.  I was supposed to be their older brother.  I was supposed to set an example like you and Bill.  I didn't do that."

"Perce, the longer you put it off, the worse it will get," said Charlie.

Percy did not look at him still.  "Dad said the same thing.  He said it was Mum's and his business who they wanted to come into their house."

"That's right," agreed Charlie.  "You're a member of the family.  Regardless of what you do.  That's what it means.  Will you please just look at me?"  Percy turned to face him.  

"I'm going home right now, Charlie.  Minister Fudge told me to," said Percy lamely.  He hated himself for having to sound so eager to please the Minister that his family disliked so greatly.  "I am a bit tired," he admitted.  "And I have other things to take care of."

Charlie knew that Percy was trying to find a way discontinue their conversation.  "Fine, have it your own way, Perce.  You keep to yourself like you always do," he said as Percy stood up with his briefcase already packed.  He grabbed his coat.

"That's right, Charlie.  I like having things my way," muttered Percy.  "Do you mind walking me out?"  They walked out of the Ministry together.

The following morning, Percy woke up at his usual time.  He had sent in his report as soon as he had returned to his flat.  He had received an e-mail from Sidney ordering him to meet with her the next day at a park.  He did not have to respond because as her charge, he had to follow all of her orders.  No doubt, she would reprimand him for not being in the Ministry and not getting around being put on vacation.  

Percy was starting to really hate working at the Ministry.  He was not popular with the other younger employees.  Everyone whispered behind his back; it was humiliating having to pretend he was a brainwashed moron who was following orders blindly.  A couple of months ago, the others were just like that.  Damn hypocrites.  Was it any wonder Percy found it so easy to pass information on the whole lot of them?  

However, getting into the Order of the Phoenix was a different story.  His family was part of it.  Dumbledore was head of the Order.  Percy did not think he could get past Dumbledore.  He might be able to get past other members.  His mother would be the easiest person to get past.  She was so eager.  Too eager.  It amplified Percy's guilty even more so.  His mother trusted him.

Percy decided to stop thinking about that.  He looked into his refrigerator.  He shut it after he decided that he did not want to eat anything at home.  He was going out to get something to eat before his meeting with Sidney.  He was dressed differently than he normally was. 

True, Percy always took off his robes before apparating home.  He wore a normal suit underneath his robes, so any of his neighbors would think that he was just a normal, Muggle government employee.  Today, he was dressed in a pair of black cargos and a long sleeve mesh shirt.  He looked like a typical Muggle attending college.  He grabbed his sunglasses on the way out the door.  Percy decided that he did not need his glasses for the day.

"Good morning, dear," said a wizened woman as she smiled at him.  She was Percy's landlady, Mrs. Thornton.  

"Good morning, Mrs. Thornton," he greeted.  "How are you today?" 

"Fine.  Splendid.  My, my, my.  You look very handsome today.  If I wasn't so old, I'd do more than look at you," teased Mrs. Thornton.  "Look at you.  I didn't know you had such lovely blue eyes.  Are you wearing contact lenses?"

Percy knew that contact lenses were a Muggle invention.  His recruitment officer told him that the laser eye surgery was better.  However, Percy knew that his neighbors were used to seeing him with glasses, so he replied, "Yes, I am.  Most days I don't have enough time to put them on, so I don't bother.  Today I had time."  He gave her a dazzling smile that sent her sixty-three year old heart a flutter.  

"My, you are something," said Mrs. Thornton.  "I thought you'd be at work, dear."

"I don't have work this week.  I was given the week off, Mrs. Thornton," Percy informed her.  "I'll see you later."

"Of course.  Go have fun.  And don't do anything I wouldn't do," she laughed.

Percy crossed the street to a little café where many people in the neighborhood came for a cup of coffee, something to eat, and to discuss things.  Percy learned a lot about the neighborhood by coming there.  He came up to the counter.

"Hey, you!" said the girl at the counter.  Her name was Rachel.  "I haven't see you in a while.  You look good this morning, so what will you have?"

"A tall mocha latte with whipped cream and a plain bagel with lox and cream cheese, please," said Percy.  

"All right," said Rachel.  Percy paid and waited for his food.  He picked up a Muggle newspaper.  It was one of the newspapers that was published by Lord Wallace, but that was no surprise to Percy.  In his mind, Lord Wallace had more influence than Professor Dumbledore.  Percy had yet to meet Lord Wallace, but he knew a lot about him.

Around him, he could hear the other customers talking.  One of the tables was filled with a group of particularly giggly girls.  They were looking Percy's direction and checking him out.  He paid no attention to them.  He knew what was going on around him.  He was on constant alert.

"Look at him.  He's gorgeous.  I wonder how old he is," said one of the girls.

"I saw him in the line.  He's got the most beautiful blue eyes," sighed another girl dreamily.  "And his hair.  I love ginger colored hair."

"Do you think he's waiting for someone?" asked a third girl.  

"I know who he's waiting for," declared the first girl.  "Me!"  She stood up very quickly, surprising her friends.  They both stood up and went after her, but by then she was at Percy's table.  He had heard their entire conversation, but he did not really care.  His eyes never left the paper nor did his ears redden.  

He looked up at the girl who had reached the table, absolutely undisturbed.  "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Um…I was wondering if, you…" the girl fumbled over her words. 

"He's waiting for me," said another voice.  The three girls turned their attention to the woman speaking.  Their hearts collectively sank.  

This was no ordinary woman; she looked like a fashion model off a catwalk or a magazine cover.  She was tall and her figure was something that most females would die to have.  She wore a pair of dark brown, shiny boots that went up to her knees. Her burgundy skirt ended her mid thigh.  Her black blouse was sloped at the neckline, showing off her shoulders.  She had a belt that was hung on her slim hips.  Her hair flowed loose, allowing the light to catch it.  Her natural highlights of copper red gleamed under the light.  Her hair framed her oval-shaped face, showing off her high cheekbones and straight nose.  Her eyes were inquisitive, and her lips were in a perfect smile, showing off her white, straight teeth.

The girls looked absolutely flabbergasted.  Most of the people were staring at the young woman who had stepped in.  In the meantime, Percy finished off his bagel and drank his last gulp of coffee.  "Are you done?" asked Sidney.

"Yes," answered Percy as he got up.  He gave the girls a smile as he walked off with Sidney.

One girl said something that phrased the situation perfectly, in a very exasperated voice, "Why do all the good looking people go together?"

"I couldn't fight him.  If had I defied him, I would have ended up in the mailroom," said Percy as they found a quiet place to talk.

"Our contact in the hospital said that Fudge's health condition isn't optimal.  He's been under a lot of stress lately," Sidney informed him.  They were walking arm in arm.  To all appearance, they looked like a young couple out on a date.  Sidney was a few years older than Percy, but it really made no difference.  

"I'm not that surprised.  Any person can tell that just by looking at him," he said.  "I talked to my brother, Charlie.  He doesn't suspect a thing."

"Then you're doing your job," said Sidney as she paused to look at some flowers in a shop.  "Such beautiful flowers.  I really don't have the time." Her hand remained on Percy's arm.  He was getting the feeling that she was trying to prevent him from running off somewhere.  "Your brother has always had a very easygoing in nature, Percy."

Percy looked at her briefly before saying, "You knew both my brothers, didn't you?"

Sidney nodded without looking at him.  "Yes, I knew them both.  Too bad I didn't get to know you all that well when you came in."  She pulled Percy forward to continue walking.  

"You were Head Girl with my brother, Bill," said Percy.

Sidney did not look at him.  There were moments when she thought about how much Percy resembled his brother.  They were alike in physical form.  She had not seen Bill in years.  She had stopped thinking about him about three years ago.  She could not remember when she stopped thinking about him.  However, being around Percy proved to be difficult.  He was a remainder of the life she had given up.  She gathered her reserve again.  

It was time to get back on topic.  The mission.  It was a vital mission.  "This week will not be wasted.  True, you'll lose some data from the Ministry, but so far the Ministry hasn't been active enough.  That was partially the reason why you were assigned to field duty.  The information you will gather on this assignment is more valuable than what you can get at the Ministry.  It is imperative that you find a way in," said Sidney in a quiet, yet serious voice.

"I understand," said Percy.  

Sidney gazed at him.  Her hypnotic eyes focused to read him more clearly.  She could tell what was going on inside him.  He was not even trying to stop her.  "You will have to do better than that.  I know that you have the talent to stop me.  You cannot let your guard down for a single moment.  Remember that or get yourself killed.  Get what we need by any means necessary," her voice sounded stern and cold.  It was amazing how many moods one woman could go through in a matter of minutes.

Percy nodded.  "I don't intend to die so easily," he assured her.

"Hardly anyone in our line of work intends to die at all," she told him.  "By the way, you have to go to the medical offices to have a physical examination."

He shook his head.  Percy did not really want any medical personnel poking and prodding.  Healer, doctor, or otherwise.  "I already had one when I was recruited," he said.

"We do that with all of our recruits.  This one is for a more thorough examination," said Sidney.  "Be prepared for things that you've never experienced before.  I know that you're not going to be used to it."

"I wasn't used to it when the doctor told me that my vision had to be corrected," said Percy with a slight grimace at the memory.  It was hard to get surgery for his eyes at first.  He had had his doubts about Muggle technology.  His vision was not just 20/20, but 20/10.   "I don't like Healers.  And doctors are nothing more but Muggle Healers.  I would rather stay away from the lot of them."

"Aw…don't tell me you're scared of hospitals, doctors, and healers," teased Sidney, unable to stop herself.  Her laugh sounded like bells.

"Fine," said Percy, very annoyed with her already.  "Just tell me when I need to be there."

"Well, today is Saturday.  How long are you off exactly?" asked Sidney.

"I'm off until Monday after next.  More than a week, but the Ministry isn't opened during the weekends," said Percy.  "I normally go in during the weekends anyway, but it seems that I am banned until my time off is over."

"Aren't you a regular boy scout?" said Sidney.  She was referring to a typically American group.  Percy did not know what she was talking about.  "Never mind," she added.  "Anyway, your appointment will be this coming Monday at eleven hundred hours.  You know the usual place."

"Yes, I do," replied Percy.  "Where do we go now?"

"We don't go anywhere.  This is my car," said Sidney.  Percy blinked.  They were standing across the street.  He had not even noticed how she led him around.  She gave him a smile.  "Keep your eyes open.  Remember that.  Don't forget your appointment," she said all this as she climbed into her BMW.  

Percy didn't say a word until he saw her car speed off.  He shook his head, not knowing what he was getting himself into.  Sidney Nelsen had proved very hard to read.  Perhaps, he should heed her advice.  Meeting around her, Percy was reminded just how much he did not know about his group.  It was enough to make him think twice about trusting anyone, even her.

"I didn't think I could get away from the Dursleys' this time," said Harry Potter as he stepped through the fireplace at the Burrow.  He shook off the extra soot from his clothes.  Ron appeared behind him in a whirl of green flames with Ginny.  Arthur Apparated in after them, appearing next to the breakfast table in the kitchen.

"Harry, they seemed pretty eager to get you out of their house," said Ron.  "It was so easy this time.  I think that Moody's gotten to them."

"They did look kind of relieved just to see us," said Ginny thoughtfully.  "Wasn't your uncle muttering about 'At least, it's not the others?'"

Harry tried to smile at that.  Ever since that night at the Ministry, Harry was not smiling as much.  Ron and Hermione were worried about him.  "Harry, it's good to see you," greeted Hermione as she came up to them. 

"It's good to see all of you," said Harry softly.

"Well, you're home now, so you have nothing to worry about," said Molly as she hugged him.  Harry accepted her hug, which lingered longer than she normally would have done with her other children.  The only child she would hug as much at that very moment was Percy.  Arthur didn't exactly say when Percy would be coming over.

"Let's go to my room, Harry," said Ron.  Harry and Ron grabbed Harry's trunk on either end and carried it up to Ron's room.

They walked up the stairs until they reached Percy's room.  "Mum said you can stay here," said Ron.  "I think you're immune to anything that Percy might have left behind.  Hermione is bunking with Ginny as usual.  Mum thought that this time around you'd like to have your own room."

Ron opened the door to reveal a very neat, very empty room.  Molly had cleaned up the dust and put in new bedding.  Percy did not leave anything behind when he stormed out of the Burrow over a year ago.  He had shrunken his effects to make it easier to transport.  "Are you sure your Mum is okay with this?" asked Harry.  "Don't tell me that Percy is still not talking to any of you."

"Actually, he wrote Dad to meet with him during on Friday.  That same day Fudge told him to take a couple of days off," Ron informed him.

"How did you find that out?" asked Harry.

"Charlie found out when he went to go see Percy.  It was odd because Percy didn't throw him out of his office," answered Ron.  "I think that he might be coming for a visit."

"That's good," said Harry with some relief.

"Why are you so happy about it, Harry?  He was the one who insulted you and didn't want us to be friends," Ron reminded him.

Harry looked around the room for a moment before speaking, "It's just that there are so many things that aren't stable around me, Ron.  Yes, the Dursleys are about the same as ever, but not your family.  It just doesn't feel right that you all aren't on the same side."

Ron was about to say something sarcastic, but he stopped himself.  Harry had lost his godfather not too long ago, and he was already an orphan.  Ron decided to count his blessings instead.  Harry needed something constant in his life.  Even school had changed the year before.  Ron knew that Harry wanted things to get back to normal, even the Weasley family.  Ron cleared his throat, "Don't worry, if he comes back, mate.  He's got his own place in London.  And if Mum wants him to stay, then we'll bunk in my room like we always do.  Are you okay?"

Harry had been staring off into space.  It seemed that he did not hear half of what Ron had just said.  Ron was worried about him, but he did not want to press him for information.  It would be fine with Ron, if Harry wanted to tell Hermione these things.  He was not so good with dealing with feelings.  However, if Harry needed him, Ron would be there.

"I'm fine," replied Harry after some silence.  He glanced at Ron.  "I'm really fine, Ron," he assured him, even smiled a little.

"Do you want to play some Quidditch later when the others get here?" suggested Ron.  "I could use the practice, Ginny too."

Dumbledore announced that all the teams were back to normal.  Ron still needed some practice as keeper, while Ginny was trying out as chaser.  She was practically promised the position, while Harry got his position back as seeker.  Harry nodded.  "Just give me a moment to get settled," he agreed.

"Okay," said Ron as he smiled and left the room.  Harry sighed as he looked around Percy's room.  Despite all the horrible things that Percy had done to him and the rest of the Weasley family in the previous year, Harry felt a little guilty about staying in his room.  It just did not seem right.  Things weren't really going to change.

On Sunday, late afternoon, Percy Apparated to his parents' house.  He decided to go through the front door rather than apparating directly inside.  He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.  He was dressed like he normally was in the wizarding world, complete with his glasses.  He ran his fingers through his hair again, while waiting.  He hoped that he did not look too different from before.  

The door opened slowly.  Bill was the one who answered it.  "Hey, Perce," he said.  "Why did you knock?  Why didn't you just apparate in?"  He was grinning ear to ear.  "Come on in."

Percy was careful not to take a deep breath as he walked in.  He looked around and noticed how everything was the same.  Everything was always a little too messy for his tastes, but now it seemed much more in order than his neat flat in London.  "Don't just stand there.  We're not going to attack you," said Bill with a laugh.

"I thought that there would have been more protective wards put up around the house, considering that Harry Potter comes here often," commented Percy, assessing the situation as quickly as possible.  He had to look for possible entryways into the Order.  Bill had proved to be as accessible as Charlie.  _Very trusting.  Too trusting_.  "Where is everyone?" he asked.

"They're outside," replied Bill.  "You're kind of late."

"Am I?" said Percy in a light tone.  He had done that on purpose.  He did not want to make a loud entrance.  "It's amazing how one loses track of time when one is on vacation."

"I heard.  It's not that bad, is it?" asked Bill as they walked together towards the backyard.

"I have my ways of keeping busy," replied Percy, thinking of Sidney's orders.  He did not want to think of the medical tests she was forcing him to undertake the next morning at eleven.  Suddenly, Percy's glasses felt heavier than usual.  He had spent too much time without wearing them.  He wanted nothing more, but to take them off, so that people could really see him for what he really was.

"Yeah, Dad told Charlie about your little trips into the Muggle world," said Bill.  Percy looked at him for a moment.  He thought about what Sidney had said earlier about knowing Charlie.  Based on what she had said, she would have been in the same year as Bill.  Percy knew better than to mention it because he did not want to explain how he knew Sidney.  Before Percy could think of something to say, they were already in the backyard.

Percy and Bill watched everyone for a moment.  No one seemed to notice that they had come.  Percy choked down the bad feeling he had about what he was about to do.  This was for the greater good.  

"Percy!" exclaimed Molly, taking notice of her third son.  She rose to her feet to greet him.  Percy fought the compulsion to pull back from her.  "Oh, you're home!"  She gave him a big hug, which he reluctantly returned.  No one noticed it.  "How are you?  You look like you've lost weight!  What have you been doing to yourself?"

Percy had not lost weight.  He had gained muscle.  He had a chance to look around.  He saw various pairs of eyes on him.  At least four of them were disproving, angry eyes.  It was just fine by him.  Their expressions were calm, but the anger was in their eyes.  They gazed at him unrelentingly.

Surprisingly, his heartbeat was normal along with his breathing.  Percy realized that his work as a spy in the Ministry of Magic had prepared him for this kind of work.  He had learned to control himself.  This was not going to be a problem at all.  "I'm sorry about what happened," he whispered softly to his mother.

Ron was the first one to say something, "What is he doing here?"  He glared at Percy.  "He doesn't belong here."

"He's your brother!  Of course, he belongs here!" snapped Molly as she placed herself protectively in front of Percy.  

"It's all right, Mother.  It's fine.  He has a right to be angry," said Percy calmly.  "I was invited, Ron.  Father invited me."

Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny whirled around to look at their father.  He smiled at them a bit.  "He's still a member of this family.  You need to learn to forgive."

"It's all right, Father.  Don't make them do anything," said Percy, calming.  He had predicted their behavior perfectly.

"Never mind them.  Come on, let's all sit down and have something to eat," said Molly as she guided him to a seat next to hers.  Percy took a seat.  "I'm fine.  I haven't been starving, Mother," he told her, but she still piled food on his plate.

"I can only imagine what you've been doing to yourself," said Molly as she fussed over him.  He stole a glance at Harry who looked back at him.  Percy guessed that Harry was the one who was being fussed over before his arrival.  "And you should eat something, too, Harry," she said as she heaped on some food on his plate.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley," agreed Harry with a smile.

Everyone settled down to eat something.  Percy studied everything around him.  Everything that was on the surface.  It was just as he remembered it, but things had changed.  They had no idea that they had a stranger in their midst.

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon 

AN: What will Percy do next?  What's up with the medical tests that he has to undergo?  I've been watching a lot of crime dramas and reruns of shows like _The Profiler_ and _The Pretender_.  I love those shows.  They are great shows about human nature.

kirikarin.livejournal.com

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.  


	6. Appointments

Veritas

Part One: Dawning on the Horizon

Chapter Five - Appointments

Lord Prometheus Wallace was enjoying a cup of gillyweed tea.  It was an acquired taste, but he was over a hundred years old and had had more than enough time to get used to it.  It was almost sundown, but he knew that the person he was meeting with would keep the appointment.  It helped that he had known this fellow since Hogwarts.  

A small pop announced the arrival of Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts.  "You are always early, aren't you, Theo?" asked Dumbledore as he took a seat. 

"And you are always on time, Albus," replied Wallace mildly.  "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please," said Dumbledore with a nod.  Wallace poured him a cup.

"I am more surprised that you are not late.  I hear you are very active these days," said Wallace.  

"Just as active as you are, my old friend," said Dumbledore.  "You still won't tell me what you're really up to, will you?"

"I am not doing anything wrong, Albus.  There is nothing to tell."  Wallace was dressed in wizards' robes, which he found more comfortable than Muggle clothes.  He divided his time between the Muggle and wizarding worlds.  Most of his family stayed in the wizarding world.  None of them knew about his fondness of Muggles, and just how much of his wealth had expanded because of his business ventures.

Wallace looked very young for his age.  He looked around his late sixties, and he took great care when he was building his businesses in the Muggle world.  He did not start until he was in his seventies in the wizarding world after his wife had passed away.  He was careful to be a quiet businessman and most people did not know that they were reading things published by his many news organizations.  Lord Wallace controlled a good portion of the media in the Muggle world.  He had learned how to control things very well in both worlds.

"It is summer again.  I have come to dread each summer because as Harry Potter returns the battle becomes worse," said Wallace thoughtfully as he buttered a scone.

Dumbledore took a sip of his tea.  He enjoyed these meetings with Wallace.  Having these civil moments, reminded him that there was still order in the world.  Part of Dumbledore admired Wallace's ability to remain objective; he was not one who thought with his heart.  Rather, Wallace was one of the most powerful, analytic minds in the world.  Perhaps, in history, but he kept his talents hidden, never allowing anyone to get too close.  A man like Wallace had many enemies.  He was very protective of his family, and no one would think that he even had one.

"Yes, I fear for him, Theo," said Dumbledore.

Wallace gazed at him.  "We are getting old, Albus.  Both of us.  Too old for these battles.  Too old for these wars.  We have seen more than anyone wishes to see.  Now, the children are going to do the battling once we are gone."

Dumbledore sipped his tea.  Everything was so calm and still.  He waited for his tea to settle down again before taking a spoon to disturb it, even though the action was unnecessary.  "You might be right, Theo.  We are getting old, but are you prepared to leave it to the children," said Dumbledore musingly.

"Not yet, old friend.  Not yet.  I just made a very hard decision recently in light of these events," said Wallace.  "One decision that I pray I do not regret."  He touched his fingertips together as he sighed.

"What are you up to, Theo?" asked Dumbledore, quite alarmed at his words.  Wallace was not the type of man who would show his feelings so easily, something was bothering him.  "What have you done?"

Wallace's mood changed again.  He was once again in control of himself.  He pursed his lips before he spoke, "I already told you, Albus.  Nothing.  There is nothing going on that you should concern yourself with."

Albus Dumbledore knew better than to believe Prometheus Wallace.

Percy was having a hard time adjusting to being around his family, but he kept his ears and eyes open for anything that would be of use.  He knew that the process of fitting in would be difficult, so he hung back and watched everyone instead of participating.  He noticed how Harry Potter did the same thing.  

"I should say I am sorry about what happened before," said Percy softly.

"It's okay.  I didn't take your letter all that seriously.  Ron ripped it up pretty quick," said Harry with a slight grin.  "You really did make them angry, didn't you?"

"I suppose some things are unforgivable," replied Percy.  "Words hurt just as much as physical harm."  He kept his ears open to other conversation going on.  

Unsurprisingly, they were careful not to discuss business out in the open.  Anyone could be listening, even someone they did not suspect at all.  "Percy, you have the week off?" asked Molly suddenly.  He nodded.  "Then, you can stay a while longer."

Percy shook his head and gave her a sheepish grin.  "I am afraid I can't.  I have an appointment to take care of tomorrow," he said.

"Really?" his mother looked rather disappointed.  His father's lips were in a thin line, so Percy decided to tell part of the truth to make her feel better.

"I have a Healer's appointment tomorrow," he replied, carefully saying Healer rather than doctor.  He was sure that he was going to go through both.  "Nothing major.  Just a check up," he added quickly when he saw the identical looks of concern on his parents' faces.

"Are you sure nothing is wrong with you?" asked Molly, still very worried about him.  Percy walked up to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  "It's just a check up, Mother.  I'll owl you as soon as I get out of the healer's," he assured her.  She placed her hand on top of his.

Ron glanced at Fred and George.  Percy's siblings did notice how much he had changed physically.  He seemed thinner than before and he did look paler.  He had grown a few more inches since he had left home.  His robes were the same size they were before, but they looked bigger on him.  "You should take some food home," insisted Molly.  "You certainly aren't taking very good care of yourself, Percy."

"I know how to take care of myself, Mother," said Percy gently, disliking all the fuss she was making.  "I did learn how to cook for myself.  I'm not starving.  Please don't worry."  

"I am allowed to worry about you, Percy Weasley.  I am your mother," said Molly indignantly as she started to pack up some food for him to take home.  He looked at his father for some help.  The only thing that Arthur did was grin at him.  "No matter how old you get, I still worry about you."

"I'll drop by and visit again during the week.  If I have time," said Percy.  "It depends on what happens at the healer's.  I also have to meet with some friends during the week."  The friends he was really referring to were more associates than friends.

"I understand," said Molly.  "You are on your own."  She gave him another rib crushing hug.  "Take care of yourself."

"I will," said Percy.  "I'm sorry I have to go so soon.  I'll see you later."  He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek in front of everyone.  That was something he didn't do before.  He gave his father a smile.  "I really do have to go.  It's an early appointment."

In a moment, he was gone.  Molly looked at the spot he had Apparated from with a heavy heart.  "You're right, Arthur.  He's different from before," she said.

"Yeah, he was proven wrong," muttered Ron. His mother glared at him, so he sighed.  "I'm sorry, Mum, but you're right.  He does look different, but he didn't really look ill."

"Weren't you listening, Ron?" asked Hermione exasperatedly.  He looked at her blankly.  "He said it was just a check up.  It could mean anything.  He probably did not say anything because he didn't want anyone to worry or feel sorry for him.  Otherwise, he would have said it sooner instead of saying it when he's just leaving."  Ron looked at her with his mouth slightly opened.  "Honestly, you have no empathy whatsoever, Ron."

"He did apologize about the letter," added Harry.  "I think it's nothing to worry about.  He's probably fine, Mrs. Weasley."

"Yes, of course.  If there was something really wrong, he'd say so, wouldn't he, Arthur?"  

Arthur was not so sure about that.  "Percy is very good at taking care of himself, Molly.  He watched after Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny when he was in Hogwarts.  He was a prefect and Head Boy, Molly.  I am positive that he can take care of himself."

The topic changed quickly to other things.  No business about the Order was discussed.  Although, Molly could not stop thinking of Percy.  He seemed not so serious as he did thoughtful.  There was something troubling him.  Arthur was sure that she would be waiting for Percy's owl the next day.

The appointment was at eleven, but Percy showed up at the medical center early.  He was going to see Dr. Kunishima and Healer Brandon again.  The last time he had seen them was months ago.  Both of them at day jobs at the hospitals in their respective worlds.

Dr. Ayane Kunishima worked as a doctor in of London's best hospitals.  She was born in America, in San Francisco.  She had been accepted into one of the most prestigious schools in the world, Tokyo Daigaku.  She first practiced in St. Luke's hospital in Tokyo.  Later, the Veritas recruited Dr. Kunishima, so she was transferred to London.  She was already a published author in medical journals and an expert at internal medicine.  She also specialized in other areas.  Not bad, for a young doctor of twenty-eight years old. 

On the other hand, Healer Jules Brandon was originally from Scotland.  He was only twenty-three years old.  He had graduated from Hogwarts like many of the agents in the United Kingdom and Ireland.  He had gone through the training program at St. Mungo's.  Despite his youth, Healer Brandon was one of the best potions brewers in the world.  He was one of the few Ravenclaws that Professor Snape had respected and liked in Hogwarts.  He was recruited about two years ago.  

The nurse at the front smiled at Percy as he entered the section.  The medical center was hidden in downtown London among the buildings of the business district.  He had taken a taxicab over.  The nurse looked up at him.  "How may I help you?" she asked.

"My name is Percy Weasley.  I am here for an appointment," he replied.

"Oh, yes.  You're a little early, Mr. Weasley.  Please have a seat," said the nurse.  "And please fill out these forms."  She handed him a clipboard.  Percy blinked.  "Please, Mr. Weasley.  It's required."

Percy looked at her again before taking the papers.  He had to go through his wallet to answer some of the questions.  He had some identification cards assigned to him.  They were needed to function in the Muggle world, and he needed to carry his Muggle currency in the wallet anyway.  He pulled out the appropriate cards and filled in the information.  

By the time he had returned to the front desk, the nurse said, "It's time for your appointment.  You've got a busy day ahead of you, Mr. Weasley."  Percy couldn't suppress the grimace that appeared on his face.  The nurse gave him a good-natured pat on the shoulder as she led him to one of the exam rooms.

Healer Brandon was already waiting for him.  "Hello, Percy.  It's been long time since I've seen you," he greeted with a smile.  He was a head shorter than Percy.  He had brown hair and gray eyes.  He was dressed in traditional healer's robes.  "Thank you, Nurse Grant," he said as the nurse shut the door.

"Anything you wish to report?" asked Healer Brandon as he skimmed over the papers that Percy had filled out.  "You are a pureblood wizard.  That's quite a rarity around here.  Less than one percent of the members are."

"Yes, I know.  It's more advantageous to be Muggle born or a half-blood," remarked Percy.  "I assure you that I have taken more than three years of Muggle Studies.  I am continuing to learn, and I am living in the Muggle world."

"I wasn't questioning your knowledge, Percy.  I was merely making an observation.  You are aware that Dr. Kunishima is going to do a full Muggle examination on you.  There are some things that you may not be ready for.  According to this, your eyes were corrected."

"Yes, by laser," confirmed Percy.  "I wear false lenses at work and whenever I'm in the wizarding world."

"Hmm.  So, you're used to injections, right?"

Percy nodded.  They did not hurt that much.  "I do have one question, Healer Brandon."

"Yes?"

"Why am I here for another evaluation?"

"This is a more thorough evaluation," replied Healer Brandon.  "Don't worry.  We do this with all of the field agents, Percy.  Now I need you to change into this medical gown.  I have to do this part of the evaluation.  Unless you want Dr. Kunishima to do it."

Percy caught his drift right away and decided that it was best that Healer Brandon handle this part of the examination.  Healer Brandon left the room for a few minutes to give Percy enough time to put on the medical gown.  It resembled a Muggle doctor's scrubs.  Percy sat back down on the exam table as he waited for Healer Brandon's return.  

"Let's get this examination under way, shall we?" asked Healer Brandon as he put on a pair of plastic gloves.  Percy knew he wasn't going to enjoy this.

Arthur Weasley was doing some paperwork at his desk in the Ministry of Magic.  Even though he didn't show it, he was just as worried about Percy as Molly was.  He wondered if Minister Fudge had forced him into taking time off because there was a real health problem.  A thought came to Arthur, all he had to do was contact Penelope Clearwater at St. Mungo's to see what was really going on Percy.

There was a meeting coming up for the Order of the Phoenix.  Now that Percy was with the family, Arthur thought that it would better if he were in the Order as well.  Percy was working right under the Minister.  He would have some information that the Order did not know about.  Or perhaps, it was too soon to put Percy through it.  Arthur decided to check with Professor Dumbledore anyway.

Arthur went back to his paperwork.  He wondered if Percy would return to the Burrow for another visit.  Arthur didn't realize how much he missed Percy until they had lunch together.  Percy seemed so different from before.  He had a certain quiet confidence about himself.  Arthur remembered Percy bragging about things because he lacked confidence in himself, so he was seeking other's approval and praise.  Or maybe, Percy was humbled by what had happened last year.  Either way, it was a good feeling having Percy back.

Meanwhile, the medical examination was underway.  Healer Brandon finished up his part of the check up by testing the magical energy in Percy's body and found the readings normal.  Dr. Kunishima was called in for the second half of the evaluation.  She was to perform various Muggle tests on Percy.  Of course, Healer Brandon had already handled some of those tests for her.

Healer Brandon opened the door to allow Dr. Kunishima to come in.  Percy had a slight feeling of apprehension that did not leave him during the tests that Healer Brandon was doing.  She smiled to him as she entered the exam room.  _Funny_, thought Percy, _how such a small, kind looking woman could be so scary._  

"How are you doing today, Percy?" asked Dr. Kunishima as she skimmed the chart that Healer Brandon had handed to her on the way out.

"I was fine until this examination started," replied Percy.  Dr. Kunishima gave him a smile as she flipped through his chart.  "Are we almost done yet?"

"I know that these examinations are uncomfortable, Percy, but we need the information just in case you get injured in the field.  This information is required also for identification purposes in the upper levels," she replied as she put the file down and started to look at the syringes.  "Levels that I don't have access to," she added as she selected a syringe and filled it with a clear liquid.

"What is that?" asked Percy.  

"It's some radioactive material, but it's nothing too dangerous," explained Dr. Kunishima.  "I need to do some brain scans on you.  Along with some blood tests.  This is for later.  Please give me your arm."  Percy presented his arm.  Dr. Kunishima tied a tourniquet around his arm.  She swabbed his arm with some rubbing alcohol and inserted a needle.  She drew blood from Percy's arm.  She took out one vial and filled another.  

"Don't take all of my blood now," said Percy calmly.  Dr. Kunishima gave him a smile, "Don't worry, Percy.  Two vials are needed for the tests."

"What are you testing for?" he asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

"Pathogens, but mostly for DNA," she replied.

"DNA?"  Percy found the whole thing utterly puzzling.  He wanted an explanation, but he had a feeling he would end up with a headache like the time someone had tried to explain how his computer worked.

"It stands for deoxyribonucleic acid.  It is unique to almost each and every individual in the world.  In humans, the only kind of people who have the same DNA are identical twins.  You get your DNA from your parents; half from your father and half from your mother.  It took about ten years for the Human Genome Project to completely identify all parts of it," explained Dr. Kunishima in the simplest terms possible.  She only gave Percy the relevant information.  "Your DNA is unique from your brothers and sisters because it's like a lottery.  Nature's little lottery."

Percy nodded, not sure whether he understood all that or not.  "Your DNA will be catalogued into the system.  The blood tests are also to see what kind of immunity you have in your body.  It's a test to see how well you can withstand disease," added Dr. Kunishima.

The rest of the testing continued.  Percy had to be subjected to x-rays.  His teeth were examined.  He was put into a machine that resembled a coffin.  At least that's what it looked like to him.  He had to go through brain scans, both kinds of MRIs and a PET scan.  The blood tests were used to measure his immunity and his blood sugar.  Percy was grateful that Healer Brandon had already asked the uncomfortable questions.  Ones that he was rather shy to answer in front of a woman, even Dr. Kunishima.

When it had all ended, Percy was more than ready to leave the hospital.  Dr. Kunishima had to go to the lab to finish the DNA analysis.  It would take the longest to work on.  She gave him a smile as he left, "Good luck in the field."

Percy smirked at her and retorted, "If I could survive that, I could easily survive the field."  He got dressed and left to go back to his flat.  Percy decided just to go home and rest after the three hours of medical tests.  He did not feel so hungry, even though he had been told not to eat anything prior to the medical tests.

When he had returned to his flat, Percy remembered that he had promised to owl his mother.  He remembered when he went to go get something to drink and found the bundle of food that his mother had insisted on packing for him.  Percy decided he was hungry after all and had some of it as he thought of what to write his mother.  While he was eating, the phone rang.  He wasn't going to pick it up until he heard a voice that he hadn't heard in a while.

"Percy, this is Dennis.  I'm back in London.  The wire has told me that you're—"

"I'm here," said Percy when he picked up the phone.

"Oh?  Hello, Percy," said Dennis.

"What's going on?  I didn't know you were back from Egypt yet."

"The business there went off without a hitch."

"What were you going to say?"

"Oh, yes, I got word that you've got a week off.  Is it true?  Did the great overachiever get some time off?"

Percy groaned inwardly.  Things were bad.  He knew it.  If Dennis was having fun with him like this, then things were really bad.  How did news travel so quickly?  "Yes, I do," he said with a sigh.

"Do you want to meet me at the gym?" asked Dennis.  Percy winced slightly at the question.  He should have guessed that was what Dennis was going to say.  He remembered what happened the last time.  Percy's body just ached thinking about it.  How could someone nearly twice his age be in better shape than him?  "Well?" pressed Dennis.

"Fine," agreed Percy begrudgingly.  "I'll meet you at the gym."

"Excellent.  I want to see if you've improved," said Dennis with a laugh as he hung up before Percy could add anything.  He hung up the phone and picked up a piece of parchment.  He kept a supply in his flat along with a few quills.  He could not use ordinary Muggle stationary and ballpoint to pen a letter home.

Percy wrote a letter to his mother telling her that everything was just fine.  He did not write any specifics of the tests.  Dr. Kunishima assured him that everything looked fine.  He was not really concerned about the test results because he knew that he was perfectly healthy.  Percy finished and decided to send off later.  He did not have Hermes with him.  He would have to send it off when he went to Diagon Alley to pick up his clothes from the cleaners.

After Percy finished his letter, he decided to call it a day.  He was really tired because of the medical tests.  He did something that he had not done in years: he took an afternoon nap.

Dr. Kunishima ran through the blood samples that came from Percy Weasley.  She did the DNA analysis.  The analysis was going as planned until she found something that she had to document and report.  The next thing she knew, she was summoned to see the head of the Veritas.

The head of the Veritas was one of the most powerful wizards in the world.  He was a cohort of Albus Dumbledore.  Dr. Kunishima didn't know all that.  She only knew the head of the Veritas as Alpha.  That was his codename because he was the one who had started the Veritas long ago.

"You wanted to speak with me, Sir," said Dr. Kunishima nervously.  She felt like quaking in fear, but stood her ground and looked him straight in the eye.  

"What did you find out about Percy Weasley?" he asked.

"He has a strange genetic anomaly," replied Dr. Kunishima.  "It is rare, but it is not life threatening.  He is cleared for work in the field."

Alpha pursed his lips together.  He looked rather thoughtful for a moment as if he was deliberating something.  He looked at Dr. Kunishima; she had a feeling that he was looking past her.  "Very well," he whispered.

"What about the DNA analysis?" asked Dr. Kunishima.  

"You said that there was nothing life threatening about it, right?  It's a rare non-threatening anomaly.  It is not enough to keep him out of the field," he replied.  

"Then, I'll give the health clearance, Sir," said Dr. Kunishima with a nod.

"You're dismissed."

Dr. Kunishima left with a strange feeling that she could not shake.  She decided to investigate her hunch.  As the person who had created the system that catalogued the DNA of every member, she had access to all the files.  She searched until she found the data she needed.  Her suspicions were confirmed.  Aya sighed.  She quickly closed the files.  She knew the truth and understood what was going on.  It wasn't her place to tell anyone else what she had found, but it was good information to know.

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: The word "daigaku" means university.  Tokyo Daigaku is one of the hardest universities in the world to get into; it often called Todai for short (I don't mean the restaurant.).  It only takes six years to become a doctor in Japan because one goes straight from high school to medical school.  St. Luke's is one of the oldest public hospitals in Tokyo.  It was built by an American, and one of the structures that prevent the use of the nuclear bombs in Tokyo.  The Americans wanted to preserve that building along with other structures.  As for the biology lesson, please forgive me.  I've been going over the stuff again for the umpteenth time.  There's a lot of information to look at in this chapter.  The genetic anomaly will come back later.  Ayane's nickname is Aya.  

And no, Percy and Dennis do not have a homosexual relationship.  If anyone can guess who Dennis really is, then they get brownie points with me.  I purposely didn't put his last name because it would have given a better hint.  If you can figure it out, or have a good guess, or just have general questions…go to kirikarin.livejournal.com.  You can even complain about my run on sentence just now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.  


	7. Gizmo’s Lab

Veritas

Part One: Dawning on the Horizon

Chapter Six - Gizmo's Lab

On Tuesday morning, Percy got dressed early and made his way to one of the most exclusive gyms in London.  He had a membership, even though he rarely set foot there.  Percy had no idea that the gym's membership was extremely expensive; he was not the one paying for it.  It came with his Muggle identification cards.  Percy never had enough time to go to the gym.  

He was dressed in workout clothes right down to his shoes, which were sneakers.  He had a gym bag with him.  The concept of a gym was not really prevalent in Britain's wizarding world.  In fact, most of the wizards would think that the Muggles were nutters for going to places just to sweat unnecessarily.  Percy did find out that working out allowed the Muggles to live longer; they did not have the advantage of wizarding healing techniques to keep long lives.

"Membership card, please," said the man at the front desk in an extremely bored tone.  Percy presented his card.  The man handed him a towel and pressed the button to let him through.  Percy took the unnecessary towel; he already had one of his own.  He walked through the part of the gym that had many workout machines that the Muggles were using.  To Percy, they resembled torture devices.

Percy kept going until he got to a portion of the gym where there were more mats and punching bags than torture devices.  There was a boxing ring in the middle.  The gym had classes for martial arts.  Percy had taken special training courses elsewhere.  They were very intense lessons.  

Percy built was lean.  He was long and lanky like his father, Bill, and Ron.  With his glasses, Percy resembled his father even more so.  Lately, Percy had developed his muscles more by jogging in a nearby park and lifting weights in his flat.  It was a good thing that wizarding robes were good at concealing any major changes in his body.  However, in Muggle clothes, it was fairly obvious that Percy was not the same skinny kid he had been over a year ago.

"There you are," said Dennis, surprising the wits out of Percy.  He started to laugh when he saw the way Percy seized up.  Percy turned and glared at Dennis.  "You're very high strung," he chuckled.   

Percy whirled at him, but Dennis blocked his punch very easily.  They pulled apart for a moment before Dennis' leg came flying towards Percy's torso.  Percy blocked it and crouched down to swipe at the other leg, but Dennis was too quick.  He managed to pull back his leg and jump back for a moment.  Percy took another swipe at him, but Dennis blocked it as well before finishing him off with a roundhouse kick.  Percy nearly fell backward, but Dennis caught him before he could hit the mat.  

"You've gotten a little better, but you still leave yourself open on the left side," remarked Dennis as he released Percy's arm, when he knew for sure that he wouldn't fall.  

"I should have known you were going to do that," muttered Percy.  "So, how was Egypt?"

Dennis gave him a slight grin.  "You know I can't tell you what happened.  You don't have the clearance for that kind of information.  You are already on two cases at the same time."

Percy snorted, "The first one is hardly worth mentioning.  Nothing's happening there.  As for the other job, I wouldn't have taken it, if I thought that there was anyway out of it."

"That's the way it works.  I'm afraid," agreed Dennis.  "However, this new case is very important.  You must be careful."

"I am being careful, Dennis.  I'm not letting down my guard, but I'm afraid it will result in me getting nowhere.  They won't trust me so readily.  I know them better than they know me," said Percy with a hollow laugh because it was so true.  They did not know what he was really up to.  They would not be able to guess.  His siblings would have thought that he'd joined the Death Eaters.  

"Remember all the things I told you when we first met, Percy?" asked Dennis.  "I told you that you would have to make a sacrifice to gain membership.  Your choices are what you make of them.  Do not allow your fears to get the better of you.  They will consume and destroy you otherwise."

"Things have been too quiet in the Ministry," said Percy, changing topics.  "The Aurors are moving quietly.  The ones who were recruited by Dumbledore are easy enough to track and keep tabs on.  It's like an eye of a storm."  

Dennis went up to a punching bag.  He said, "Hold on for me."  Percy held the punching bag in place, so that Dennis could effectively use it.  "Don't let the calmness fool you.  You always have to be suspicious if things are too quiet," he said.

"I know that.  That's what's concerning me.  The bigger the eye, the bigger the storm," said Percy in a quiet voice.  "It's the waiting that's worse.  The anticipation."

Dennis continued to hit the punching bag without responding.  He listened carefully.  He was the one who was sent to recruit Percy Weasley when his name appeared on the list in the fire.  It was an extremely short list.  Percy's name was the only one listed along with his codename.  

Percy's name did not come as a surprise to any member of the Veritas.  The recruitment process was highly selective.  It was a matter of timing and the person.  Percy was the latest recruit in two years.  Dennis was the one who had initially approached him.  At first, Percy had been very reluctant to join up.  He thought that Dennis was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and he had seriously thought of reporting him to the Ministry.  However, for whatever the reason, Percy did not report him.  Eventually, something happened that caused Percy to join up with the Veritas  

Dennis was the first person to recognize Percy's abilities that made him an excellent agent.  He was an expert at reading people.  As a high self-monitor, Percy had the ability to adapt almost any situation.  He also had the ability to live a dual life quite effectively.  His high intelligence also helped.  He had the analytical ability to find his way out of most situations.  It made him the ideal Veritas member.  

"Let's switch.  We can work on your problem," ordered Dennis.

Percy and Dennis switch places.  Percy was the one punching now.  He controlled his breathing as he listened to Dennis' advice.  "Keep your left side up.  You're leaving yourself open," he said.  "That's good.  Keep it up, but don't forget your right side.  You've got to pay attention to everything."

For the rest of the day, they went back and forth, sparring.  Dennis was better than Percy because he had much more experience.  Percy did surprise him from time to time.  He had a good sense of timing and he was getting better at predicting his movements.  In the end, they were pretty worn out.  

"So, you're not going to tell me anything about Egypt, are you?" asked Percy when they were at the smoothie bar.

"Why don't you just wait until you find out from the Order?" asked Dennis with a grin.  "Let's see if you can find out on your own."  

Percy smiled.  He wished he had as much confidence in his abilities as Dennis had.  He was really nervous.  "What about Sidney Nelsen?  What do you think of her?" he asked.  

Dennis took a deep breath.  "You and her have a lot in common.  She was also Head Girl in Hogwarts.  You both are overachievers.  She was the youngest agent ever recruited.  She was only seventeen years old at the time."

Percy looked at him with slight surprise.  "I didn't know that," he muttered.

"Sidney's not the type to mention it.  She doesn't talk about the past that often.  She tends to think in terms of the future.  I think you should stop asking questions about her from me.  You will learn more about her as you go on."

"I did know her before, but not that well.  She was Head Girl when I first started school," said Percy.  "I was much shorter than her back then.  I guess I didn't remember her that well until I saw her again."

"You did?  Sidney's a pretty unforgettable woman.  Then again, you were a child at the time," said Dennis thoughtfully.  "Sometimes, I forget how young you are."  

Percy laughed.  He had a smile on his face, which some would have wondered what had gotten into him.  Normally, he did not like being reminded of how young he was.  "Younger isn't always better, Dennis.  I'm not as good as you are."

"There's still loads of time for you to improve," said Dennis.

Percy took a sip of his smoothie.  He never thought that he would be so comfortably in the Muggle world.  He knew his father would be very impressed with him, but it was a shame that he could not tell his father anything.  There were a lot of things he could not tell to his family.  He found that the Muggle world serve as an escape for him.

In the Muggle world, Percy could easily forget what he was really doing.  He did not have to worry about keeping up appearances.  He did not have to pretend that the things his siblings said about him did not hurt his feelings.  To them, he was too stuck up to care.  Percy did not have to worry about pretending to care about things he did not.  He did not have to lie so much.  Of course, he kept his guard on, but in the Muggle world, Percy felt as if he was more himself.

In the wizarding world, Percy felt like he was acting in a play.  If he did not take a break every once in a while, he would have surely gone mad.  He was playing a caricature of himself.  True, he was the type of person who wanted things to be in order and everything had a set of rules, but he was not that strict.  At least, he did not think he was.

"Look, I have to go.  I think I'll drop by Diagon Alley," said Percy in a low voice.

"Working on the new case," stated Dennis with a firm understanding.  "Good luck."

Percy nodded as he picked up his bag.  "I'll see you when I see you."  Dennis nodded and he was gone.

Percy returned to his flat to find a message waiting for him when he went on the network.  Sidney had sent him a message saying that the Aurors in the Ministry of Magic who were member of the Order showed recent activity.  There was something about to happen in the Order of Phoenix.  Percy read the note.  He would have to move quickly.

He changed his clothes and slipped on his glasses.  He was going to drop by Diagon Alley as planned because that was where Fred and George's store was.  Percy decided he would have to find a way in the hard way.  To most people in his position, it did not look like a good idea.  Talking to the twins would not get Percy any closer.  He knew how hard it would be, but he also knew them better than they knew him.  

Percy had profiles on most of the people he was dealing with.  He had practiced by building profiles on his own family members.  Percy's profile on Fred and George was pretty basic.  He knew that they were extremely stubborn and knew how to hold a grudge.  He also knew them to be self-centered and selfish at times, but that was based on their birth order and place in the family.  Percy knew what it would take to get into their good graces.  And if he could do that, then he could get into the Order.  Either way, he would have to work quickly.

Percy Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.  He walked along to the entrance and tapped the bricks with his wand.  Percy adjusted his glasses as he went through.  He kept walking until he was at the front of Fred and George's shop.  It was the first time he had ever taken a good long look at the place.  Percy looked up at the gleaming sign above him.  Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.  He took a deep breath before entering the shop.  He found a young witch at the counter helping some customers.  She looked at him when he had entered.  "How may I help you?" she asked.

"I'm looking for either Fred or George," replied Percy.  "I'll wait."  He looked at what they were selling.  He sort of smirked when he looked at the Skiving Snackboxes and the rubber wands.  

"See anything you like?" asked George.  Percy turned around.  "Well, what are you doing here?" 

Percy studied him for a moment.  George was always the more thoughtful Weasley twin.  He could be reasoned with, while Fred was more talkative and ready for a fight.  "I have a lot of time on my hands, being on vacation and all.  And I've never been here before," said Percy quietly.  

George's mouth was in a thin line, but he looked like he was deciding something.  "We're doing good business," he said.

"You're probably making more money than me.  The money isn't in government work," said Percy calmly.

"Yeah, well, we don't really have aspirations like you do," retorted George.  There was an obnoxious edge to his voice.

Percy was trying to keep himself calm.  He had to remind himself not to get angry with George for all the little implications he was making.  Percy fixed his eyes on George's brown eyes.  The stare proved to be a battle of wills that George lost very quickly.  He broke the stare in a matter of seconds.  "I don't think I'll come here again," whispered Percy.

"Why not?" asked George with some surprise.  Percy was never so blunt before.  He leaned in close.

"It's obvious that I'm not welcomed here.  We're all supposed to on the same side, but we're not.  I know a lot of things that not everyone knows about.  You'd be surprised at what I know," whispered Percy.  "Damn surprised."  He turned on his heel to go.  

George's eyes had widened when Percy pulled back from him.  He was frozen for a moment.  Percy knew what must have been going to George's head.  "Wait.  Don't go," shouted George suddenly.  His employee and the customers turned their attention to them.  Percy did not stop.  He kept going until he was through the door, causing George to go after him.

"PERCY!" he shouted.  "WAIT!"

Percy stopped for a moment, but started to walk again.  "PLEASE!  PERCY!" shouted George.  Percy stopped all together, waiting for George to catch up with him.  "We have to talk somewhere else," said George in a low voice.

"I thought that I wasn't wanted," said Percy coldly.

"You're right.  We're all on the same side now," said George.  "It's just that you're still working for—"

"I know who I work for," snapped Percy.  "Do you really believe that I would continue following that fool after all that stuff that happened last year?  He's going to get us killed."  His voice was soft, but his anger was genuine.  "I keep my eyes open and I do my job."

"What's going on, George?  Mary just said that you stepped outside with one of our brothers, but since Ron is at home and Bill and Charlie were at work—" Fred stopped when he saw who George was talking to.  "What are you wasting your time for?" he growled when he set his eyes on Percy.

"He's had reports come in. Confidential ones that predicted the death toll before the incident at the Ministry," whispered Percy to George.  "I'm going," he said in a louder voice.  

Fred had marched up to the pair by that time.  "What did you say to him?" he demanded.

"You can ask him yourself after I've left," responded Percy coolly.  "I'm out of here."

"No.  Don't go," said George quickly. "Fred, shut up."  He said before his twin could say anything.  "Is it true?  Are you telling the truth?"

Percy locked gazes with him again.  "What do you think?" he asked, letting George decide for himself.

"Would you be willing to tell the others?" asked George.  Percy knew he was testing him to see if he was telling the truth.  

"Yes," replied Percy.

"That's good enough for me," said George with some relief.  "It's too much work staying angry at you."  Fred was now glaring at both of them.  "Come on, let's go back to the shop."

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" asked Fred exasperatedly.  

"Inside," said George firmly.  "We'll talk inside."

The guilt that Percy was feeling was sitting in the form of a lump in his stomach.  However, he had made a lot of progress.  George explained to Fred what had happened.  Fred wore a skeptical look, but said that it was not for them to decide whether or not the information was valuable enough to allow Percy access.

Percy had his foot in the door and that was all he needed to do.  Fred and George told him that there would be a meeting coming up later that week, confirming what Sidney had told him.  It seemed that the Veritas was able to get someone to cover for Percy's absence.  

The Weasley twins had reported to their parents what Percy said.  Molly became anxious at the thought of another member of her family becoming a member of the Order.  Arthur took it with a grain of salt, but said it was up to Dumbledore.  

Percy did not stay long at his brothers' shop.  The twins asked if he would visit the Burrow, but he said later that week.  He did not really want to face his parents.  

As for the information that Percy had, he was going to give them a little bit of the information that he had passed to the Veritas.  He was going to decide what to give and what to leave out.  He would have to report to Sidney before he could do anything.

Sidney sent him a message, telling him what had to be done.  It was Percy's choice to decide how much information he was willing to give.  Sidney also ordered him to come to one of the Veritas depots.  Percy had a vague idea that he would be outfitted with equipment.

The Veritas had an excellent and well-funded research and development lab.  They had technology the likes of which the Muggles hadn't seen before.  They also researched ways to make Muggle and wizarding components compatible.  The R&D lab was something that would have impressed Arthur Weasley.

The lab was located in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse.  Percy had the address sent to his palm organizer.  He took the Underground that stopped near the lab.  He followed the instructions to the entrance of the lab.  At that moment, he received further instructions in the form of a call on his cell phone.

Percy did not answer.  It was a text message, telling him how to get through the entrance.  All the field agents were wizards and witches, none of the Muggles were placed on the front line.  So, he drew out his wand and recited the spell that was on his cell phone's screen.  The doors opened, allowing him to walk inside.  As soon as he set foot inside, the doors shut.  There was only one way to go.  There was a hall that led to a single doorway.  Percy walked quietly towards it.  The next thing he saw was a lens.  It was at his eye level.  Percy knew what it was.  He had read it in the handbook that was given to all the agents.

Retinal scanners, finger prints, and voice recognition devices were used by the Muggles to verify people's identity without being overly intrusive.  Percy also knew about blood readers, and most recently DNA fingerprinting.  He had gone back and read more on the subject after his appointment with Dr. Kunishima.  However, the Veritas has taken it a bit further by finding a way to identify individual wizards.  It turned out that each wizard or witch had a distinct magical signature, even when the person used things like the Polyjuice Potion.  The magical signature could not be changed.  It was unique to each and every wizard and witch.

The Veritas kept their technological findings to themselves.  Their technology would have benefited both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and it did.  No one outside the Veritas knew about the work they had done.

Percy aligned his eyes with the retinal scanner.  The door sprung open immediately.  He stepped inside, but he had to stop again because there was a panel of glass in front of him.  Percy knew better than to use his wand.  A blue beam swept through him, starting at his feet all the way up his head.  

"Identity confirmed.  Weasley, Percy.  Middle name Ignatius.  Blood type O Negative.  Codename: Omega," said a computerized voice.  The glass panel slid open.  It was an illusion.  Percy was now in the lab.  

"Welcome Omega," said Sidney as she walked up to greet him.  "Did you find your way all right?"

"Yes," answered Percy as he looked around.  The outside of the warehouse did not do the interior justice.  Everything was so clean and bright.  Percy's eyes spotted a lot of computer equipment along with several inventors working on it.  Percy could not tell the difference between the Muggle and wizard inventors.

"This is Gizmo," said Sidney as she introduced Percy to a short woman.  She looked rather elfin.  Her hair was a mess of black curls with blue highlights.  A person who knew more about popular culture would know that she resembled a Gothic Lolita from Japan.  "She's our technical expert."

"Hello, you must be Omega," greeted the young woman as she did an odd curtsey.  She had an American accent, but appeared to be of Asian descent.

"Yes," said Percy.

"Are you sure?  You look a little stiff to be a field agent.  And young, too.  I bet I'm older than you.  But, you're a real cutie," said Gizmo.  She laughed at the look on Percy's face.  "You've got a live one here, Aura."

Sidney smiled slightly.  "Yes, I do."

"Is your hair naturally that color?" asked Gizmo as she walked around Percy.

"Yes."

"Really?  I think it's gorgeous.  You've got stunning blue eyes.  Do you have any older brothers?" asked Gizmo with her eyebrow slightly raised.  Percy gaped at her, but didn't have time to respond.

"As a matter of fact, he does," answered Sidney.  "Two of them."

Gizmo laughed again.  "Ooh la la.  If they're as cute as he is, I'm sold!"  Percy gave Sidney a pained look.  "I'm just joking around, honey.  You don't have to look like that.  I'll have you know that most men find me attractive.  You need to loosen up," said Gizmo. 

"You've had your fun, Gizmo.  Now give him what he needs," said Sidney with a grin. 

"Aw…you're no fun at all, Aura.  You have the same problem that he does," said Gizmo, nodding at Percy.  Her eyes glimmered for a moment.  "An itch that needs scratching.  Maybe, you guys can help each other."  Neither Percy nor Sidney liked the sexual innuendo that Gizmo was implying.  They gave her identical glares.  "Let's see.  You'll be infiltrating the Order of the Phoenix.  That's never been done before."

Gizmo looked at the list of standard issue equipment.  "I have an incomplete listing of the members.  There are quite a few people to look out for, Omega.  The worst will probably be Alastor Moody.   So, I don't think standard issue portable sneakoscopes should be used," she said thoughtfully.

"He is fully trained in the art of Occlumency and Legilimency.  On top of that, he's studied a good amount of psychology, so he's prepared for that," said Sidney.

"Okay, you won't be able to bring any electronic equipment the concentration of magic won't be controlled in that setting," said Gizmo.  "You'll have to be outfitted with equipment that doesn't require electricity.  Do you wear contact lenses?"

Percy shook his head.  "Your vision was corrected.  You still wear your old frames, don't you?  Let me see them." asked Gizmo.  He nodded.  He always had them with him, just in case he would run into someone from the wizarding world that knew him.  The Muggle clothes could be easily explained, but the lack of glasses would not.  

She went to a cabinet and came back with an eyeglass case.  She opened the glass and took out a pair of glasses.  She looked carefully at Percy's original frames and cast a spell.  The lenses had changed place.  

"What are they for?" asked Percy.

"They're standard issue.  It will allow you to see magical energies.  All you have to do is concentrate, and they should work automatically.  If they don't, just tap them in either corner," said Gizmo.  "You can carry weapons though."

"Don't give him any Muggle firearms.  It would look suspicious," warned Sidney as she picked up a pistol from one of the cabinets.  She aimed it at a target and fired a few rounds.  She had hit vital points in the head and torso.  "Very smooth.  This is a .35 caliber, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," said Gizmo as she looked around for the right weapons.  "Let me see your wand for a moment, Omega.  I need to test it to see if it's okay."

Percy handed Gizmo his wand.  She ran it through a test.  "Everything's in working order," she said as she handed it back to him.  "You'll have to keep it with you during the meeting."

"I have no intention of letting it go," said Percy.  "What are the other things I need?"

"These glasses are a combination of Muggle and wizarding technology," said Gizmo.

"I understand," agreed Percy. He was going to have to keep his wand with him at all times.  "I suppose I shouldn't use any of the techniques from my training."

"That's true," said Sidney.  "Don't do anything to make it appear like you learned anything beyond the magic you learned at Hogwarts.  Keep your eyes and ears open.  Any information could be worth something to us.  We also need a recording of their magical energies for our database.  Record all the members you can."

"I'll try my best," said Percy solemnly.  "I'll report everything I see and hear, even the things I don't.  Sometimes, the information that's not there is worth reporting."

"Well, good luck.  You're going to need it," said Gizmo.  "You come back in one piece, and I'll have a treat waiting for you."  She said with a smile and wink.  Percy threw an uncomfortable look at Sidney, who was laughing.

Percy had no idea where the meeting was taking place, so he had to stop at the Burrow and go with his family to the meeting.  He stopped at the front door again.  He was going to knock before he realized that he could just open it.

"Hello?" he called in a soft voice.  He heard the sound of yelling coming from the upstairs.

"What do you mean we can't attend the meeting?!" shouted Ron.

"You, your sister, Hermione, and Harry aren't of age!  I've already told you!" fired back Molly Weasley.

"That's not fair!  Harry should know what's going on!  If anyone else deserves to be in the meeting, it's him!" 

Percy heard a muffled voice.  He figured it was Harry, but most likely Hermione, trying to calm down everyone else.

"You are only sixteen years old!  You're not old enough to attend the meetings and that's final!" roared Molly, causing Percy to wince.  The next sound he heard was his mother making her way downstairs.

Her face was contorted in anger, but quickly changed to sheer happiness.  "Percy!  When did you get here?" she asked.  "Are you all right?"

"Didn't you get my note after my Healer's appointment, Mother?" he asked her with a smile.

"Yes, I did, but I would rather hear from you directly if you were all right or not," said Molly as she surveyed him.  He was dressed in his wizards' robes, so there was not much for her to notice.

"Hey, what's he doing here?" demanded Ron.  Harry, Hermione, and Ginny followed him.  "Don't tell me he's coming to the meeting."

Molly obviously had not been informed about Percy attending the meeting.  "Percy, that's not what you're here for, are you?" she asked.  She looked a bit paler.  Percy had noticed earlier that his mother had lost weight and looked paler than normal.  He felt his stomach unsettle.  He did not want to give her an answer at that moment, and he did not have to.  "No.  Please say you're not going to join."

"Mother—" Percy started.

She shook her head.  "You can't do that, Percy.  This family has already given enough.  Your father and your brothers.  You don't have to do it just because you want to make up for what happened last year.  You're safer where you are."  Her voice sounded shrill.  Percy could hear the fear.  Her blue eyes were focused on him.  He could almost swear that she could see straight through him.

"Safer?  I don't think I was safer last year, Mother.  I don't think I could be safe in a place where Lucius Malfoy could just walk in wherever he wanted to.  The Ministry is where the attack happened.  It's where the world finally found out that Voldemort was back.  We were like sitting ducks.  Do you know where I was?  I was in my office.  That's not far from the Department of Mysteries.  Not far at all.  We only learned that weeks ago.  Do you realize what could have happened last year?" said Percy in a resolute tone. 

He had made a mistake.  His mother had flinched along with almost everyone in the room, except for Harry.  His green eyes were ablaze.  It took Percy a moment after he was done talking to realize what he had done.  He had said Voldemort's name out loud.  "It's only a name, Mother," he added in a whisper.  "A name can't hurt you.  Only the person behind it."

"Voldemort's not even his real name," said Harry.

Molly did not know what shook her more.  Percy saying You-Know-Who's name out loud or the fact that he was in the Ministry at the time of the attack.  Ron, Ginny, and Hermione looked a little frightened, but not overly so.  They were there with Harry.  "It's your choice.  I can't stop you," whispered Molly, conceding defeat.

"What do you know?" asked Harry.  "What do you know, Percy?"

"Voldemort wants to commit genocide.  Everyone should know that," replied Percy.  Genocide was a strong word, but it was the correct one.  "Fudge is helping him by being grossly incompetent.  There were reports brought in.  As many as one million wizards can be killed in the next few years, if he isn't stopped."

A collective gasp was breathed.  Their eyes were wide open.  Percy did not say anything about the Muggles.  That was the Veritas' problem, while the wizards were the Order's problem.  Percy decided to keep himself as humble as possible.  "I was invited, Mother," he said.

"Who would invite you?" demanded Molly.

"We did," answered Fred and George as they Apparated into the living room.  Molly rounded on them with a furious look on her face.  Percy decided to intervene.  "Mother, please don't get angry with them.  I was the one who went to them.  Me."

Fred and George looked a mildly surprised.  Their mother's anger did not dissipate.  "More than half this family is in the order, Percy.  I was hoping to keep a few of you out of it," she said.

"I think it is a little too late for that, Mother.  I am in it whether or not I want to be," said Percy.  "You can't stop me.  You couldn't before."  He really did not want to remind her, but he had to convince her.  He could not stop when he was so close.

Luckily, before his mother could respond, his father and two elder brothers Apparated in.  "What's going on?" asked Arthur Weasley.  He stopped when he saw Percy.

"Why don't you ask Fred and George?" asked Molly as she threw them a glare.

Percy decided to let Fred and George explain the situation.  They did so very quickly, finishing off each other's sentences.  Bill and Charlie locked their eyes on Percy, who appeared rather calm.  By the time they were finished, their father's eyes were also on him.  "I am not that surprised you know things that we don't, but are you sure you want to do this?  After all the things you have done last year," said Arthur suspiciously.

"I didn't say I would join the Order officially," said Percy.  "I never said that."

"Then what are you saying?" asked Arthur.  He really did want to trust his own son.  He couldn't see anything, but Percy standing in front of him.  Arthur wondered what was going on inside his mind.

Percy shrugged.  "I have no idea," he replied.  "Yes, I know that I was a stupid prat.  Although, some of you would have more to say about that."  The twins and Ron glanced at each other.  "If the Order isn't interested, then I can just go back to work.  I can just sit there and keep my mouth shut.  Now, I can either go with you or I can go back on vacation."

"You're giving Mum and Dad an ultimatum?" said Fred.  None of the children had ever done that before.

"Well, I wish I could say that it's been nice knowing you, Percy…" trailed off George.

Arthur's lips were in a thin line.  He did not want to have another row with Percy.  On top of that, Percy was being very reasonable and calm.  He did not so much as flinch when his father stared at him.  Percy could sense his parents weakening.  "Look, I will always be around.  I won't say anything to anyone.  You can have the information at anytime you want," said Percy sincerely.  "I'm going home and getting some sleep.  I'm not going to wait around here all day with you all just staring at me.  I'll be on my way."  

He looked around the room.  He concentrated.  At first the lens did not work, but suddenly he could see all the distinct energies in the room.  The only people who had nearly identical ones were Fred and George.  That was no surprise to Percy.  There was a high reading from Harry Potter.  He was concentrating so hard that he did not hear what his father had said.

"Percy, are you listening to me?" asked Arthur.  Percy looked at him.  The magical energy signals were gone.  Fully recorded and ready for use.  "I was just saying that you are free to join us."

Percy was actually surprised by that.  It had been too easy for him.  He nodded.  "Very well, Father."

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: I like Gizmo.  This chapter took a little bit longer to write than the others.  I'm not running out of steam.  I just had things to do.  I wrote part of this story on a train, which meant that I had to take breaks from time to time because I would get dizzy.  Anyway, Gizmo is so cool.  Things will heat up a bit more.  I will also be introducing more characters as the story goes on.

For more information go to kirikarin.livejournal.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.  


	8. Gathering

Veritas

Part One: Dawning on the Horizon

Chapter Seven - Gathering

Remus Lupin wandered through the corridors of Number 12 Grimmauld Place.  The windows were boarded up, but the place was much cleaner than it had been in years.  All kinds of memorabilia from the Black family had been taken down and tossed.  The place was more empty than it had ever been.  There were blank spaces where pictures and tapestries used to hang.  The furniture had been reupholstered.  The effort to clean out the house was an enormous task that was taken up various members of the Order of the Phoenix.

Number 12 Grimmauld Place had been the ancestral home of the Black family, but with the death of Sirius Black, the house now belonged to someone else.  Sirius Black had left a will.  The house now belonged to his godson, Harry Potter, along with all the assets that Sirius had left behind.  Harry had turned over control of the house to Albus Dumbledore.  The extra money was also used to fix up the house, but there was still quite a bit left over.  The house that was once a testimony to the Dark Arts, and the idea of purebloods being superior beings, was now the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

Remus Lupin spent a good amount of his time taking down all the things that his best friend hated.  He had taken down all of the family pictures and put ones of the Order in place.  He had put in pictures of the Potters, which Harry had approved of.  Sirius had been considered a member of the Potter family, even before Harry had been born.  Number 12 Grimmauld Place looked nothing like it had last year.

A lot of work had gone into taking all the Dark Art relics out of the house and destroying them.  The heads of the house elves had been taken down, which caused the last house elf, Kreacher, to die.  His little house elf heart had stopped suddenly.  The only people present at the time were Remus and Tonks.  Neither of them made a move to revive the elf.  It was just as well.  He was the one who held up their efforts.  And if that had not killed him, learning that Harry was now the owner of the house would have.

Remus was having a cup of tea when he heard the sound of crashing in the hall.  He smiled without moving from his seat.  He could hear the sound of soft, deep laughter.  "I'm sorry!" exclaimed a female voice.  "I'll fix it!"  This was followed by sound of another crash.  "I'm so sorry."

Remus continued to enjoy his tea until a tall, black, bald man with a gold hoop earring showed up with a young woman.  At this particular moment, her hair was long and blonde.  Her eyes were the aqua colored.  "How are things going, Remus?" asked the man as he took a seat.

"Have some tea, Kingsley," offered Remus.  "You, too, Tonks."

"Don't mind if I do," said Tonks as she took a seat.  Remus poured tea for both of them.

"Cream?  Sugar?  Honey?" asked Remus.  Kingsley held up his hand as an answer.  "I would like some cream and sugar," answered Tonks.

The sounds of more people Apparating came did not bother the tea drinkers.  Their voices were heard loud and clear.  Eventually, they strolled into the kitchen.  The house got livelier as more people arrived.  However, the sound of the voices had stopped suddenly, causing some alarm for Remus, Tonks, and Kingsley.  They stood up and went to the living to see what was wrong.

They stopped when they saw the uninvited guest.  The uninvited guest was Percy Weasley.  Arthur was trying to explain.  "He has information that the Order may need."

Alastor Moody was not very convinced.  He rounded on Percy, looking at him carefully.  His magical eyeball settling on the young man.  Percy did not so much as flinch.  "I'm not so sure about that," said Moody.  "Can we trust him?"

Molly was the one who stepped in to answer that question, "He's my son.  I think I know whether or not he can be trusted."  She stood in front of Percy protectively as she had done when he had first reappeared at the Burrow.  Percy wisely decided to say nothing.  It was better to leave his mother to fight for him.  

"You're a good judge of that.  Your opinion is obviously biased," growled Moody.  "I say we give him some Veritaserum."  Percy's face remained stony.  He was well trained and could handle this.  Moody studied him carefully.

"I'll take anything you can throw at me," whispered Percy.  He concentrated again, focusing his eyes on Moody.  He could read Moody's magical energy.  His reading was stronger than the others he had seen, which was unsurprising.

"I think that will be unnecessary," said a quiet, firm voice.  Percy looked past Moody and saw Albus Dumbledore.  "Welcome, Percy."

"Thank you, Professor," said Percy.  The magical energy he could see from Dumbledore blinded.  It was so strong that Percy had to stop the reading.  He pulled back involuntarily, startling Moody.  "Watch it!" he exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," muttered Percy.  He could feel his ears getting red as he looked around the room.  He turned on the lenses again.  He had to record more readings as they continued to stare at him.  "Look, you can have the information you want since I'm here.  You can wipe my memory clean afterwards, if you want."

"Why are you so eager to give us this information?" demanded Moody.  His magical eye whirled around in its socket before settling again on him.

"I have my reasons," answered Percy quietly.  "If you don't want the information, then I've wasted my time."

"Enough," said Dumbledore as he held up his hand.  He gazed at Percy as if to judge him.  "We do not turn away those who belong here, Percy.  You made your choice.  The meeting will begin in fifteen minutes.  I have some other business to take care of."

All the chairs had already been put out for the meeting.  Percy scanned the room again.  He spotted his old Transfiguration teacher, Professor Minerva McGonagall.  She was chatting with the Aurors.  Percy could record more readings.  "You're to wait in the other room," order Molly to Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny.

"Why can't we stay?" argued Ron.  "Shouldn't Harry be here?"

"He will be told at the end of the meeting what needs to be done," snapped Molly. 

"This isn't fair.  Percy's never been here before, but he gets to stay," said Ginny.  "We were in the Department of Mysteries just weeks ago, and you're still keeping us out of the meetings."

"I think we should stay," said Harry.  

"You know that we're going to figure it out eventually," said Hermione.  

Molly looked at each and everyone of them.  Percy thought that she was losing ground with them.  He didn't say anything.  The old Percy would have given an opinion without being asked.  

"Just leave them," said Charlie as he capped Percy's shoulder.

"Yes, it's going to take Mum a while to get them to clear off.  I think that's why Dumbledore gave us fifteen minutes," said Bill.  "Come with us."

Percy followed his brothers.  It was odd being in the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.  He was conscious of the fact that he was an outsider, even though he was welcomed.  He spotted someone who had just arrived.  It was Severus Snape, Hogwart's Potions Master.  His dark eyes settled on Percy.

"Let's go.  I can't stand him," hissed Bill.  "We'll go back to the kitchen to get some tea."  Percy had little choice, but to follow them for the moment.  

Tonks looked at up at them.  She was pouring herself a cup of tea again.  "Hello Percy.  I was wondering when you'd join us," she said brightly.  "I see you in the Ministry all the time.  Where have you been the past few days."

"I got some time off," said Percy.  "The Minister said I was overworked."

"Then, it's a stroke of luck again.  You decided to join us because Fudge made you take time off.  Don't worry about it.  You won't have to worry about that here," said Charlie with a grin.  "Hey, by the way, did you know that Bill is dating Fleur Delacour?"

Percy had heard of that, but he pretended that it was the first time he had heard the news.  "Oh.  Wasn't she one of the champions in the Triwizard Tournament?"

"Yes, you remember her," insisted Bill. "She was the Beauxbaton champion."

Percy nodded.  He remembered her.  She was the stuck up half Veela.  He did not like her very much.  She kept using her looks to catch the attention of the boys during the Yule Ball.  Percy could not help, but be a little disappointed in Bill's choice.  He never thought that Bill would be that shallow.  Then, something came to him, seeing Bill triggered something in his memory.

Sidney Nelsen.  Percy could remember now her more clearly now.  She had been Bill's girlfriend in Hogwarts.  A more worthy woman in Percy's mind.  He found her to be more stunning and radiant than Fleur Delacour.  However, Percy knew better than to mention his handler.

"What's wrong?" asked Charlie with concern as he looked at Percy.  Apparently, he had been staring into space for a while. "No.  Nothing is wrong," answered Percy as he shook his head.  

"You look like something's bothering you," said Bill.  Percy stared at him.  He remembered how much Bill had cared for Sidney and their sudden breakup.  Charlie had told Percy not to say anything to their family about it because it was up to Bill to say something.  He never did.  That was how Percy could have forgotten so easily.  A thought struck Percy again.

Joining the Veritas, required sacrificing one's self as a sign of loyalty.  Percy now understood why Sidney's relationship with Bill had ended so abruptly.  He made a mental note not to mention Bill to her.  It was more important to keep their focus.  "I'm fine," said Percy.  "I just don't know what to say half the time.  That's all."

"The meeting's starting now," said Tonks, hearing the sounds of chairs being moved.  "Let's go."

They walked to the living room.  Percy took a seat next to Bill and Charlie who sat on another part of the room away from their parents.  Seeing the absence of the children, Percy knew that his mother had successfully convinced them to wait in another room.  Fred and George were sitting with their parents.

"We will start this meeting by introducing a new arrival," said Dumbledore.  "Please Percy stand up."  Percy got to his feet.  He was under a lot of pressure to make a good impression.  "This is Percy Weasley, the third son of Arthur and Molly Weasley.  He is currently an employee at the Ministry of Magic.  He is the junior assissant to Minister Cornelius Fudge."

"He has come here today because he had information that we might consider important.  However, we would like to extend a real welcome to him.  Please tell us what you know."

Percy looked around him.  He swallowed.  "A report came in last year just before Harry Potter's hearing at the Ministry of Magic.  A numbers man from the Department of Magical Catastrophes submitted predictions of what would happen if Voldemort regained his original strength based on the past death toll."  He paused for a moment to survey the room.  Each person looked a little worried or more alert than they did before he started speaking.  "The prediction for London alone is 10,000.  That's just the wizards."

"What did Fudge do with the information?" demanded Moody.

"He told me to destroy the information," replied Percy.

"Did you destroy it?" asked his father.

"No," answered Percy after taking a deep breath.  "I couldn't smuggle the files out of the Ministry.  Instead, I hid it in my office.  It should still be there.  I haven't seen it since then."

The employees from the Ministry looked at each other.  Bill and Charlie betrayed looks of surprise.  Fred and George looked even more shocked than Bill and Charlie.  They would not have imagined Percy could be so sneaky.  _They don't know the half of it._

"If I could figure out a way to bring the information, I would," continued Percy.  "I knew for a year.  I thought that the Ministry would be able to handle it.  I thought as long as I did my job it wouldn't get out of control.  I was wrong.  I kept quiet for a while, but with You-Know-Who back.  I couldn't.  The Minister is unsurprisingly inept."

Fred and George choked down their laughter.  "He was willing to deny the existence of You-Know-Who, and put innocent people's lives on the line to keep his job when he should have been doing his duty to us."  Percy's anger and disgust was blatant.  

"When did you start feeling this way?" asked Molly.  "When did you start doing this?  You went on to say some more horrible things after that."

"I wanted you to stay out of it," answered Percy.  "It wasn't safe in the Ministry of Magic.  I didn't want anyone to worry.  I saw Lucius Malfoy go in and out of Minister Fudge's office.  No doubt, he was taking some _charitable donations_.  They had a few meetings during the year.  I documented the dates and the meeting times."

"You seem a little too efficient," growled Moody.  "A little too eager."

"Then wipe my memory clean," said Percy as he squared his shoulders.  His tone was no longer humbling, but challenging.  He could read Moody like a book.  He knew if he kept challenging him, Moody would eventually back off.  Percy had studied everyone in the short amount of time he had been there.  He could already tell a lot about them.

"That won't be necessary," Dumbledore intervened.  "As I have said you are welcomed to join us.  You seem to be very disappointed in the Minister."

"You have no idea, Professor," said Percy as he took a seat.

"Let us move on to other business.  Bill Weasley has just returned from Egypt recently and has a report," said Dumbledore.

Bill stood up and gave his report.  He talked about meeting the stranger in the desert and about the mysterious orb that was in vault 206.  He had concluded by saying that the bank has not determine what the orb was or what its function was.

During Bill's report, Percy figured out what was going on.  Dennis had told Percy to wait and find out for himself about what happened in Egypt.  "His name was Asmodeus.  Other than that I don't know much else," concluded Bill.  "The only thing I know is that the orb was probably made in Egypt."

The members of the Order started asking questions, while Percy silently sat there.  He knew more about what was going on than anyone else, but he did not want to look it.  However, he decided to interrupt.  "You say that you don't know much else about Asmodeus?" 

"Yes, Percy," answered Bill.

"You know more than you think," said Percy quietly.  "Recreate the vision you saw in your mind.  You'll find that you know more than you think."

Fred snorted, "You never took Divination in school.  How would you know?"  Percy locked gazes with him again and won a quick staring contest.  "As I was saying," continued Percy, "there's probably more in your mind than what you think you remember.  Like how was he dressed?  Did he speak with an accent?  Did he have any strange habits like shifting his eyes around as if he was looking for trouble?  Things like that."

Kingsley and Tonks appeared to be mildly impressed by him.  "Are you sure you're not an Auror?" asked Tonks.

"No, I'm not.  Just a student of human nature," answered Percy.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you," said Dumbledore quietly.  "Your mind has always been quite agile, Percy."  There was no way anyone could predict what Dumbledore was thinking at that moment.  He did not sound that impressed nor surprised.  He seemed to be expecting it.

"I'm not that good," said Percy truthfully.  "It's just that being exposed to more people helps one learn to become more observant, Professor."

Bill looked thoughtful for a moment.  He said, "There was something.  Like I said, he did magic without a wand, but there was something in his walk.  I couldn't tell because of his clothes, but he was very athletic.  I can't describe it.  When he said he was only delivering the orb, it looked like he didn't know what was going on either.  It was the way his accent changed.  Yes.  His accent changed.  He had a British accent, but it was hidden by his Egyptian accent.  He was also right-handed.  Yes, he was right handed because his dagger was on his left side."

"It's not much," said Severus Snape suddenly in a quiet voice.  "I can tell you one thing.  The Dark Lord doesn't know what's going on.  At least the Death Eaters haven't mentioned it yet."

Percy's ears perked up.  He was going to have a lot to report.  The Order settled down again, ready to hear what Severus Snape had to report.  Percy knew that the Veritas already had information on the Death Eaters.  However, he was interested in knowing which information the Order found relevant.

Severus Snape looked at all the eyes on him before speaking.  During that time, Percy focused again to activate the lenses and recorded the readings off him.  He turned it off as soon as he was satisfied.  He decided that studying Snape more closely would garner important information.  He did not have a quill nor parchment to make notes, so Percy was going to have to remember the most important details.

"As I was saying, the Dark Lord doesn't know about the orb.  He has no idea that it exists.  His movements have been very secretive lately.  Since Harry Potter has mastered Occlumency, we haven't been able to determine his emotions or thoughts.  He is calling a meeting this summer as well.  I think we'll be coming up with a way to assist the Death Eaters currently in Azkaban as well as recruit new members."

Percy noticed the way Snape kept his arms at his sides.  He did not make the normal hand gestures that most people did in conversation.  In fact, Snape had the edge of his left sleeve clutched.  He looked tired and paler than Percy had ever seen him.  His exhaustion was not as obvious as Minister Fudge's.  He was a man who was precariously on the edge.  In a way, Percy could relate to the way Snape was feeling.  They were both living double lives, trying to keep a balance between the parts that they were playing and their true selves.

"Do you know who the possible recruits are, Severus?" asked Dumbledore.

"Not as of yet, Professor Dumbledore," answered Severus with a shake of his head.  "I do know that he is looking for a connection into the Ministry.  I think that he would have left the ones that were captured in Azkaban to rot, but they're loyal to him.  He doesn't have enough followers.  Still, we shouldn't underestimate him."

"That was the mistake the majority of the wizarding world has made," said Dumbledore.  "However, I hope that we can all get together and stand together as one.  There are other groups out there.  Ones that could easily rival us."

"I've heard of one that is quite powerful," said Moody.  "They are called the Veritas.  That's all.  It could be just a rumor."

"I've never heard of that," said Kingsley.  "The Aurors would know about that sort of thing."

"The Minister hasn't got any information on them," agreed Percy mildly.  "Then again, the Ministry doesn't really know much about the Order."

"What has the Veritas been known to do?" asked Tonks.  "What are they capable of?"

Dumbledore's eyes sparkled.  "I have no idea.  I have heard of them.  I do not even know if they are on our side.  Perhaps, it would be more accurate to say that they make their own side."

"A triangle," said Remus.  "It's a triangle.  Or it could be more than that.  How long have you heard about it, Professor Dumbledore?"

"Years.  Decades.  It started after the fall of Grindelwald," answered Dumbledore.  "There is not much I know."

Percy could see how uncomfortable they were.  He could not blame them, but at the same time he derived some satisfaction from their discomfort.  Percy did not feel the disturbed the slightest bit because no one would suspect him of doing anything.

A short time later, the meeting was concluded.  Fred and George started to move the furniture back into its original positions.  Bill and Charlie were discussing more business with other members.  Arthur decided to talk to Percy, while Molly went to get the children.  

"Percy, I want you to be careful," said Arthur quietly.

"I am being careful, Father.  I can take care of myself.  You don't have to worry," assured Percy.  His words were not enough to soothe his father's worries.  "You taught me how to take care of myself.  If you don't trust me, then you don't trust yourself."

Arthur opened his mouth and closed it.  He did not look angry.  Rather, he had a sad smile on his face.  "I know.  I should have more faith, but this is very dangerous.  The Ministry is just as much a target as any other place, if not more."

"You're there," Percy reminded him.  "I'll be fine.  I can handle myself.  I've been doing it for a year."

Before Arthur could respond, they were interrupted by Molly and the children.  "So, how'd it go?" asked Ron.

"If you must know, it went all right," answered Molly.  "Why don't we all sit down for dinner?  I still have to prepare it."

Percy looked away from his father.  "I'm afraid I can't stay, Mother," he said softly.

"Nonsense.  You're on vacation, Percy.  You can stay," said Molly.  "You should stay."  Percy ignored the people staring at him.  He really wished that she would not make it so hard him.  He had to return to his flat so he could send in his report.  "Please, Percy."

He sighed and looked upwards at the ceiling.  "Very well.  I suppose I can get sleep some other time," he relented.

"You haven't been sleeping, have you?" asked Charlie, who had turned his attention to Percy.

"No.  I haven't.  The Ministry of Magic is working around the clock.  You know that.  I come in early and leave late.  I am forced to eat in my office because I don't have the time to leave, but I'm used to it.  It's not much of a problem.  At least it wasn't before.  The Minister calls me into his office regularly now."

"I thought you looked a bit tired," said Molly worriedly.  "You haven't been eating nor sleeping well.  You call this taking care of yourself."

Percy knew that his mother was just worried about him.  There was no need for him get so agitated or hostile.  He also probably deserved the treatment he was receiving.  He made her worry for a year, so she was making up for loss time.  "It can't be helped, Mother.  There's a war hovering over our heads.  What do you expect me to do?  I can't pay attention to myself as long as there's something going on out there," he said in a gentle voice.

"That's not what I meant, Percy—"

"Enough, Molly.  He's right.  He's an adult.  He can decide what he wants to do," said Arthur.  "You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

"No, I said I was staying.  I'll stay," said Percy.

"Hey…wait a minute, could it be that you actually have a social life outside of this?" asked George suddenly.

Percy smirked slightly.  "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Fred and George seemed ready to prey upon this.  "Well, what are you up to?"

"Let's just say that I'm seeing someone," answered Percy, grabbing onto the excellent opportunity that George had presented to him.  

"Who?  Who are you seeing?" asked Molly.

"She's a musician," answered Percy casually.  "She lives in London."

"A musician?" asked Ginny skeptically.  "I thought you were seeing Penelope Clearwater."

"Penelope and I agreed not to see each other anymore after Hogwarts."

"What instrument does she play?  What's her name?" asked Charlie.

"I'll let you figure that out," said Percy with a smile as he walked towards the kitchen.

"Hey!  Wait!  What else?" asked Ron as he and his siblings went after him.  Percy had no idea that he was going to enjoy the assignment that much.  

It took a few more hours before Percy could get away from the Order, but he did not regret staying one bit.  He learned more about the members of the Order who had stayed for dinner.  Percy was readily accepted into the group, but he remained an observer.  The twins were still bothering him about the mysterious new woman in his life, but he was having fun with them.

Percy was one of the first leave.  This time his parents made no move to stop him.  He knew that they would have preferred it if he had gone home with them.  Bill and Charlie had their own places in England; they didn't even live together.  Percy kissed his mother goodbye before Disapparating.

Even though he was tired, Percy still had to input his report for the Veritas.  He turned on his computer as he took off his glasses.  He was going to have to go back to Gizmo's Lab to get the readings translated into the main database.  As soon as the computer was done booting up, he went to the network, logged in, and started his report.

It took another two hours to write the report.  Percy spent another hour correcting and double checking his facts.  It was almost one in the morning by the time he submitted his report.  He took the time to check his e-mail.  There was only one message waiting for him.  

_Omega_

_I trust that everything went as planned.  Please be prepared to meet with me tomorrow.  I will contact you with further information._

_Aura_

Percy deleted the message, cleaned out his trash, and logged out.  He spent his time thinking about what he had just done.  The trust that he had just betrayed.  It was not like Snape going to the Death Eaters.  No.  What Percy had done was worse.  

Betrayal. It did not matter how good the other cause was.  It was still betrayal.  Percy's guilt was amplified by his parents', especially his mother's, ready forgiveness. The talk of the Veritas made him even more aware of the fact that no one really knew him.  No one in his family knew him.  He did not want to think what would happen if something bad happened to him.  The cold truth would never come to them.  His family would never know of his sacrifice.  Percy knew that his brothers and sister thought that he was incapable of loving anyone.  That was not the truth.  The truth was he loved them enough to put his life on the line, even though they would never know it.  

"I'm a bastard," he whispered as the screen of his laptop turned black.  He stared at his reflection on the screen.  It was getting harder and harder to look at himself.  It was even more difficult to live with the things he had done.  

He reminded himself that it was for the good of others.  There were more than just 10,000 lives of wizards and witches at stake.  Percy didn't tell them about all the numbers.  The wizarding population was less than ten percent of the total world population.  

Compared to the millions of lives at stake, Percy felt that his life was infinitesimal.

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: More about the Veritas' members will come up.  Percy is working very hard to keep everyone else safe at his own expense, and it's starting to show.  Does Dumbledore suspect him?  I'm not saying.  There's still a lot of stuff that will happen.  I have no idea how long this fic will be at this point.  I can hardly predict these things.  All I know is that things will get worse before it gets better.  Percy's beliefs and strength will be tested beyond what he has just done.

I'm not completely back from my hiatus just yet, but I figured since I started working on the story again I should just update.  I'm more ahead then I let on, but they're kind of like reserve chapters when I can't update.  

I had to pass my Japanese class term, so I took lots of time off from this question.  

kirikarin.livejournal.com 

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.


	9. Lord Wallace

Veritas

Part One: Dawning on the Horizon

Chapter Eight - Lord Wallace

Over the next few weeks, Percy was posing as a member of the Order of the Phoenix.  He kept his cover in the Ministry of Magic as well.  Percy had to file reports to the Veritas.  It was a juggling act.  The easiest thing to do was his monitoring at the Ministry.  He was grateful for it.

Percy did not have to report to the Veritas headquarters at all because all the information was routed to Sidney, who in turn reported all of his findings.  The information from the first meeting provided very important statistic data.  Gizmo inputted the data from the meeting and created profiles based on Percy's reports.  The files were put into the large archives of the Veritas for safekeeping.

The most exhausting thing about Percy's double life, which was actually more of a triple life, was dealing with his family.  He had always been rather aloof around them; he preferred to be left alone.  His family would not have it that way, especially his parents.  His mother awaited his visits home even more so than Bill and Charlie.  His father talked to him from time to time at work, but they were careful not to talk about Order business too often.  Percy did not like the feeling he got when he was around his family.  His guilt had receded a lot since the first time he had gone home.  He disliked feeling too comfortable about lying to them all the time.  He voiced these feelings when he met Sidney at a Muggle park to play chess.

Sidney Nelsen was waiting for him in a Muggle park in another part of London, far away from the wizarding enclaves and Percy's flat.  It was a part of London that Percy had never seen before, but then again there were loads of place that were unfamiliar to him.  Percy took a cab to the park.  

There were children playing on the playground equipment.  They were laughing and running around without a care in the world, unaware that someone out there would want to hurt them simply for being something they could not help being.  Percy did not notice any real difference between the Muggle children and wizarding children.  There was the absence of magic, but most wizarding children did not develop their powers until puberty; even then they were prevented from using magic.  Percy walked slowly until he spotted Sidney in front of a chess board waiting for him.

"Find anything interesting?" asked Sidney as she looked up at him.  She was dressed in a pair of hip hugging jeans and a plain white shirt.  She had a light blue jacket tied at her waist and a pair of sandals.  Her hair was in a ponytail.  She didn't wear any makeup.  

Percy would have suspected that Sidney would have looked good in an empty sack of potatoes.  He took the seat across from her.  "I used to just play in the backyard with my siblings," he replied.  Sidney nodded, understanding what he was saying.

"How is it going?" she asked.

"Everything is going fine.  I expected things to be worse."

"Your information has been very valuable.  He wants to meet with you directly," said Sidney nonchalantly.  "Are you available?"  She moved her pawn across the board.  "Your move."

Percy moved one of his pieces as he considered what she was saying.  He knew who Sidney was talking about.  Percy had never even seen Lord Wallace.  He was a recluse in both worlds.  He shifted uncomfortably.  He was unable to give an answer.  "You don't have to worry about him, Percy.  He's really not anything to be afraid of," said Sidney reassuringly. 

"Have you met him?" asked Percy.

"Yes, loads of times.  Every field agent is required to meet with him at least once in a while on active duty," answered Sidney.  "You're lucky.  He usually doesn't meet with a field agent until they've been on the job for a few years.  I first met him two years after I started.  I was around your age."

"Lucky me," muttered Percy.  "Are you sure he wants to meet with me?"

"Direct orders," said Sidney.  "You'll find him to be very reasonable.  Try not to be too nervous."

"That's easy for you to say," retorted Percy as he lost a piece.  Sidney set it on her side of the board.  

"I think he already likes you.  I've got no idea why, but he does," said Sidney as she took another one of his pieces.  "You keep letting your guard down.  That can't be good."

Percy focused on the chess match and moved a piece.  Sidney countered him.  Within a few minutes, the match was decided, "Checkmate."  Percy said as he took her king.  "You're the one who shouldn't let down your guard."

Sidney smirked at his words.  "The meeting with Lord Wallace will take place at the Tsuki Teahouse," she said as she wrote an address on a piece of paper and handed it to him.  "Don't be late."

Percy looked at the address.  "What time and day do I have to meet him?"

"Friday, four in the afternoon," replied Sidney.  "Is there anything else that you'd like to discuss?"

"Nothing really," said Percy as he pocketed the address.  "What about you?"

"Nothing," said Sidney.  "Would you like to play another game?"  Percy nodded.

The Ministry of Magic was working frantically to figure out what Voldemort was up to, but they did not have much luck.  For one thing, they were understaffed at the top offices because Delores J. Umbridge was still out on medical leave.  She had had some kind of nervous breakdown after her time as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher; Umbridge was unable to give a coherent explanation for what had happened.  It was just as well because she would have proven very useless.

Percy found out that Umbridge had all kinds of classified materials that she had kept from the Minister.  He did not bother to submit them to the Minister; he gave them to the Veritas instead.  Umbridge, like most of the Ministry, was in a state of denial, which was very dangerous.  The Ministry had put a lean on the _Daily Prophet_; this manipulation caused many people to side with the Ministry.  

Ironically, the wizarding population was now up in arms demanding that the Ministry do something.  Minister Fudge was trying to do something, but many had lost faith.  The _Daily Prophet_ reported how much the Ministry covered up what had happened.  Rita Skeeter was back in rare form.  A year's worth of hardly doing any writing, save that interview with Harry Potter that first appeared in _The Quibbler_, seemed to make Skeeter more formidable than before.  She had immediately written about what had happened in Hogwarts, but Percy knew that most of the things she reported were not exaggerations.

None of this matter at the moment, Percy was at work, trying to focus.  It was the day of his meeting with Lord Wallace.  He had already put in that he would be going home early that day.  He even came in early that morning to get some of his work done.  Not to his surprise, the Minister was having some kind of crisis.  

"Where are those security reports, Weasley?" demanded Fudge, when Percy came to his office.  "I need them immediately."

"They are right here, Minister," said Percy as he dug through the pile of papers on the desk.  "Is there anything else you need, Sir?"

"Nothing right now, Weasley.  Thank you," said Fudge as he looked through the reports.  Percy nodded and went back to his office.  He was not really concentrating on his paperwork; he was too busy thinking about the impending meeting with Lord Wallace.  He had never been more nervous in his whole life, and that included being summoned to Dumbledore's and Fudge's offices for the first time.  Percy attempted to keep himself busy with his work, but with the lack of concentration, it was a lost cause.  

When it was time to leave, Fudge was utterly shocked.  "Wait, you're going home right now, Weasley?" he asked.

"Yes, Minister.  I informed you last week about leaving early today, Sir.  I even came in early.  The reports that were assigned to have been completed," replied Percy calmly.  He did not want to be late, especially after Sidney's warning.  "I am leaving now, Sir."  He did not want to be stopped and he knew that Fudge would not threaten to fire him.  Fudge needed Percy too much to do that.

"Oh, yes.  Of course, you did," said Fudge.  "I forgot.  I'll see you on Monday."  Percy nodded and left.  He locked his office and put up some wards to protect his files.  The last thing he did before he closed the door was put on his cloak.  He was walking down the hallway when he saw his father.  

"Percy, where are you going?" asked Arthur, noticing that Percy was dressed in his cloak.  

"I'm leaving early today," replied Percy.  

"Why?" asked Arthur with concern  

Percy decided to play on it.  "I have another appointment with the Healer."

"But you said nothing was wrong," said his father.  "Do you want some company?"

"No.  That's unnecessary, Father…but do you mind if I drop by home tonight for dinner?" 

Arthur smiled.  "Of course not.  You're always welcomed at home.  It's been weeks since you've dropped by for dinner.  Your mother understands.  With what's been going on around here, it's not much of a surprise."

"Yes, Father.  I suppose the pressure is getting to all of us," said Percy as he gave him a smile.  "Now, I have to go.  I can't be late, Father."

"I'll see you at dinner," said Arthur as he watched his son's retreating back.  Percy's manner did not dissipate the feeling of concern Arthur had for him.  But, he was happy that his son was coming around.

The Tsuki Teahouse was a very serene place that transported one from England to Japan by simply stepping through its doors.  Percy was immediately taken to one of the private tea rooms where he found an elderly gentleman waiting for him.  He had his hand on top of his cane.  His blue eyes immediately penetrated Percy's core.  

"Welcome," said the gentleman in a soft voice.  "You must be Percy Weasley.  I am Lord Prometheus Icarus Wallace.  I have been waiting to meet you for a long time."

"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Wallace," said Percy, gathering up all his courage.  

"How long do you intend to stand there?" asked Lord Wallace with a smile playing on his lips.  "Please sit down, Percy."

Percy took a seat across from him.  He could feel the power emitting from Lord Wallace.  There was no denying how much he was like Dumbledore.  Percy had to quell the inferiority he was experience just by being in the same room as Lord Wallace.  He squared his shoulders and looked straight at Lord Wallace.  "Thank you, Sir," said Percy as Lord Wallace poured him some tea.

"Have you ever seen the Japanese tea ceremony, Percy?" asked Lord Wallace pleasantly.  Percy shook his head.  "It is quite fascinating.  It can take hours to serve a single cup of tea.  It is bitter tea that one does not add any cream or sugar to.  It is not in the ceremony itself, but people enjoying one another's company.  Tea is meant to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace, Percy.  It is one of the few illusions of civility I am willing to maintain."

"Yes, civility in a uncivil world, Milord," said Percy in a soft voice as he took a sip of the tea.  

"What do you think of it, Percy?" asked Lord Wallace.

"It is very good.  It reminds me of the blend I used to drink with my mother, Milord," replied Percy.  It was true.  His mother would blend different kinds of loose tea leaves to produce something very similar to the tea he was currently having.  The aroma reminded Percy very strongly of his mother.

An odd look came over Lord Wallace's dignified features.  They seemed to soften.  He looked as if he was in another place.  Perhaps even another time, but Lord Wallace came back to the moment almost instantly.  "Yes, your mother," he murmured as he took a glance at Percy.  

"What about my mother, Milord?" asked Percy.

"Nothing.  I know the family that you come from, Percy.  It must be difficult going into the Order of the Phoenix like that," answered Lord Wallace.  "There is no need for you to be so alarmed."

Percy was suddenly bothered by what he had said earlier, "Milord, you said that you had wanted to meet me for a long time.  Why is that?"

"You are so young.  I wondered why the fire would elect you to be a member," replied Lord Wallace.  "After learning more information about you, I found you rather intriguing.  I have watched your progress."

"I have only gone on two actual mission, Milord.  Both of them are long term missions," said Percy calmly.

"Yes, I know.  You have done very well in both," said Lord Wallace.  Despite the tone of his voice, Percy took it as high praise.  Lord Wallace did not sound like Fudge at all.  No, his praise was worth so much more than the Minister's.

"Thank you, Milord," said Percy with a smile.  Lord Wallace stared at him for a moment as if he was trying to memorize Percy's features.  It did not make Percy uncomfortable at all.  

"There is a new mission I would like you to go on.  It should not take too much time," said Lord Wallace.

Percy was intrigued because Sidney was usually the one who assigned him missions.  "Yes, Milord?" he prompted.

"The fire has selected a new recruit.  It seems that the recruits are getting younger and younger.  This particular recruit lives in New York City.  His name is Jason Rory Quinn.  He is only sixteen years of age, but he is a wizard.  He is currently attending the wizarding school in New York," said Lord Wallace.  "Your mission is to recruit Mr. Quinn."

"Milord, I am afraid that my presence in the Ministry of Magic is required.  Or at least, the Minister thinks so.  There is the other mission as well," said Percy in a steady voice.

"The recruitment mission should not take more than the weekend to complete," said Lord Wallace.  "As for the meeting for the Order, let me take care of that."

Percy did not bother to ask just how far reaching Lord Wallace's influence was.  He did not doubt that Lord Wallace and Professor Dumbledore knew each other.  Percy would have to trust Lord Wallace.  He had to focus on his new mission.  "I do have another question, Milord," he said in a quiet voice.  Lord Wallace nodded as he took a sip of tea.  "Why me?  Might I suggest that you send Asmodeus for the task?  He's better suited for it.  He was my recruitment officer."

"The new recruit is rather young.  Mr. Quinn's record is not exactly the most sterling of records.  His father was an agent in the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, while his mother was a member of the Agency for Magical Law Enforcement.  Both his parents were killed on different missions, his father was investigating an attack that happened in New York that killed many Muggles as well as wizards.  His mother died when she was on a routine mission, but rumor has it that she was gathering intelligence on the Death Eaters."

"Young Mr. Quinn was sent to live with his relatives after his mother's death, but he decided to attend a boarding school on his own.  It is very much like Hogwarts.  I felt that you could relate to him better than Asmodeus.  The boy is extremely talented.  He is a hacker, one who can break into computer systems like our network, and he is a Metamorphmagus."

Percy nodded.  He understood why Veritas would need someone like Jason Quinn.  He was young, but it with a war on the horizon it could not be helped.  It would take a year to train him, but by that time he would be old enough to go on field missions.  "I understand, Milord," agreed Percy.

"You will receive the information you need," said Lord Wallace.  "I know that you will succeed. Now that business is out of the way, would you like another cup of tea, Percy?"  His tone was very pleasant.  

"Thank you, Milord," said Percy as Lord Wallace poured him a cup.  The man was really an enigma.  Percy was not sure if he wanted to learn more about him, but there was something in Lord Wallace's manner that was familiar to Percy.  Percy could not explain it.  Maybe, he was imagining the twinge of fondness he was getting from Lord Wallace.  As far as Sidney and Dennis have said, Lord Wallace did not show a preference for anyone.  

"I make a point to know more about each of my employees," said Lord Wallace.  "Tell me a bit more about yourself, beyond what I have read in your dossier."

"There is not much to say about me, Milord, that is not already in my dossier," said Percy.  "Everything is in there."  He had seen his dossier himself.  Every accomplishment, every accolade was listed for any Veritas member's viewing.

"Not everything in one's dossier, Percy.  Tell me about yourself.  Tell me about your family," said Lord Wallace patiently.  

Family.  He wanted to know about Percy's family.  True enough, the dossier did not do justice in describing his family.  Percy avoided thinking about them on a more emotional level because of the work he was doing.  He was deceiving and betraying them.  He did not want to discuss them unless it was necessary.  Unfortunately with Lord Wallace, it was necessary.

"You come from one of the oldest pureblood families in all of England," prompted Lord Wallace.  "As do I.  You are one of the few purebloods on my staff."

"Yes, Milord," said Percy.  He should have known better.  Lord Wallace was only interested in learning because of his bloodlines.  He was not ashamed of them; he just did not want to be judged by them.  

"A truly noble family indeed," said Lord Wallace thoughtfully.  "Although, your mother comes from a more noble family than your father's."

Percy looked up rather surprised.  "My father's family is a fine one, Milord," he said, unable to stop himself.  Lord Wallace laughed good naturedly at his words.  Percy opened his mouth, but closed it again.  "My apologies, Milord.  I was out of line."

"Young people are so amusing," chuckled Lord Wallace.  "You did nothing wrong.  So many people are afraid of stepping on my toes.  I find this conversation most refreshing."  His blue eyes were sparkling with a life that Lord Wallace had thought long extinguished.  

Percy was taken back by Lord Wallace's reaction.  What other word in Percy's vocabulary did he have to explain this man other than enigma?  Lord Wallace was as eccentric as Professor Dumbledore.  There was wisdom in their madness.  Percy was not so sure if he wanted to find more.

"Other than your parents, you have quite a few siblings," said Lord Wallace.

"Yes, Milord," said Percy.  "I have two older brothers, three younger brothers, and a younger sister."  He smiled slightly as he thought of them.

"Family is very important, Percy," went on Lord Wallace, his voice slightly rough with an unreadable emotion.  Percy thought it was pretty odd for him to say that considering how most of the Veritas had to give up their families for their work.  As cruel as it was, Percy could not imagine Lord Wallace having a family.  Lord Wallace was too cold and calculating for that.

Oddly enough, Percy could feel a certain amount of kinship with Lord Wallace.  They were very much alike.  The feeling of familiarity was also a little disarming for Percy.  The man acted like he knew Percy rather well.  It gave Percy some discomfort.  It was not like Sidney or Dennis knowing him, but rather Lord Wallace acted as if he had known him long before the Veritas.  That was, however, quite inconceivable.  Percy had never met Lord Wallace until that day.  Yet, Lord Wallace acted as if he had known Percy his entire life.  Very odd indeed.

"Do you have any family, Milord?" asked Percy bravely.

The expression on Lord Wallace's face had undergone a few changes in emotion.  At first, his expression had softened for less than a moment before going into a pained one, and finally settling back into a neutral one.  His eyes told Percy nothing.  "Everyone has a family, Percy.  Whether or not they chose to acknowledge it or not.  We are what we are, Percy," replied Lord Wallace cryptically.  Percy did not understand the last thing he had said, but decided to leave it at that.

Lord Wallace put his hand on the silver lion that adorned the top of his cane.  It was an unconscious signal that he made when he wanted to indicate he was ready to leave.  "This has been a very enlightening afternoon, Percy.  I hope that we can do this again soon," he said as he rose to his feet.

A bit startled, Percy rose to his feet as well.  "Thank you for meeting with me, Lord Wallace," he said as he bowed.

Lord Wallace held up his free hand as he shook his head.  "That is not necessary.  I dislike such things," he said in a rather stern voice.  "And before you can apologize, it is unnecessary.  I do not require such things from you.  Good day to you, Percy.  Mr. Weasley."

Blinking in stunned surprise, Percy waited until Lord Wallace was gone before leaving the teahouse.  He quietly shut the door behind him as he left, feeling more puzzled than ever.

There was no time for Percy to linger on his thoughts because he had asked to attend dinner at the Burrow that evening.  He had said it as a way to pacify his father.  Percy decided that he did want to go dinner after all.  He felt as if he needed some familiar surroundings to ease the stranger, vexing feelings that were churning inside him.  At the moment, Percy did not want to try and figure them out.  He just wanted to be around people he knew.  Furthermore, the talk about family was enough to make Percy long for his own.  He would never admit that to himself.  

Percy Apparated into the warm kitchen of the Burrow to find that his father had not arrived yet.  Bill and Charlie were also still at work, but Fred and George nearly fell out of their chairs in surprise when Percy Apparated between them.  He rather enjoyed the shocked looks on their faces.

"Don't do that!" exclaimed Fred.

"What are you doing here?" demanded George.

"I decided to come for dinner," replied Percy mildly.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" asked Fred suspiciously.  They were doing some bookkeeping on kitchen table.  It was only five in the afternoon.  Dinner was not until six.  "Did you get fired?  You know we could use more staff at our place.  Besides, you like doing stuff with numbers."  

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I was not fired.  I had an appointment at the Healer's," said Percy.  

"Again?  Didn't you have an appointment just a couple of weeks ago?" asked George.  "Are you sure there's nothing wrong with you?"

"Are you trying to have a sense of humor implanted?" said Fred.  "Because you don't have to go to the Healer's for that sort of thing…"

Percy was about to say something, but his mother had come in.  "How are you boys getting along?  Hermione said that she would correct your work as soon as you were done?  Have a seat, Percy," she said, but suddenly seemed to notice him.  "Percy!  What are you doing here?"

"I told Father that I was dropping by for dinner," explained Percy.  "I'm early because I had an appointment at the Healers—"

"Again?  But, you said there was nothing wrong, Percy," interrupted Molly with a worried look on her face.  She looked at him carefully before announcing, "You do look a little pale.  Have you lost weight?  Sit down."  Percy obligingly sat down.  "Your eyes look tired."  

"Mother, I'm fine—"

"Have you been sleeping at all?  Surely, the Minister would give you more time off, if you asked.  What did you do on your vacation?  You didn't to anything relaxing at all, did you, Percy?  Maybe, you should rest here…"  Percy stopped her by putting his hand on top of hers.  Molly gazed at him.  He stood up.

"I am going to go see what Ron and Ginny are up," he said quietly.  He walked out of the room before his mother could ask anymore questions.  Ginny was sitting on the sofa watching Harry and Ron play chess.  Hermione was reading Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts books.  They were not expecting him.  "Percy," exclaimed Ginny as she stood up and to greet him.  "What are you doing here?"

"Just waiting for dinner.  I had an appointment today, so I got off early," answered Percy.  He took a seat on one of the chairs.  "Getting ready for the next term already, Hermione?"

Hermione looked up from her book.  She nodded, "Yes, well, it's never too early."  Percy could sense the eyes of Ron, Harry, and Ginny flickering.  He knew about Dumbledore's Army.  He knew that they did not want him to know about it.  "Yes, it's never too early to get a jump start on the N.E.W.T.s."

"You're kidding right?" asked Ron exasperatedly.  "We just had the O.W.L.s, Percy."

"I know," said Percy.  "And Ginny, you'll be taking them this coming school year."  Ginny looked at him with her nose scrunched up.  "Don't worry too much about it.  You don't have to aim so high.  Just beat Fred's and George's scores, and you're home free."

"I heard that!" exclaimed Fred indignantly as he entered the living room.  "Hermione, do you mind taking a look at our math?"

"Sure, no problem," said Hermione as she took one of the books.  "How did you do this?"

"We did it separately, but our numbers didn't agree," said George with his own set of books in his hand.

"Give them to me," said Hermione.  George handed them to her.  "I'll see what I can do."

"What have you guys been up to?" asked Fred. "By the way, Percy good job in the kitchen getting Mum all worked up again."

"What did he do?" demanded Ron.

"He let it slip that he had another appointment at the Healer's," answered George.  "So, what's up with you, Perce?"

"Don't say nothing again.  No one should be having that many meetings with the Healers," added Fred.

Percy sighed as he looked at them over his glasses.  "There is nothing wrong with me.  They had do some blood work that's all."

"_Blood work_?" echoed Ron.  Even Hermione was looking Percy.  Harry had started when Ron stopped paying attention to the game.

"Nothing major.  The Healer just said that there was something that needed to be tested," said Percy shrugging.  He was careful not to say the letters DNA.  He was positive that Hermione knew what that meant, and that Harry probably had a vague idea of what DNA was.  "You never really cared before, Fred.  George.  Just leave it alone."

"What do you mean just leave it alone?" demanded Fred.  "Mum and Dad are upset.  And you're saying that it's nothing?!"

"It is my business.  I don't have to give an answer or an explanation," said Percy coolly.  He wanted to take off his glasses because they felt restrictive.  The twins were hovering over him, demanding answers.  He looked at them coldly, silently daring them to say something.  

"You're right.  It's your business," said George as he turned away.  Fred looked at George.  "Wait, George."

"Let him handle it," said George with a shrug.  "We shouldn't waste any time on him, Fred."

The twins went to their room.  Percy waited until they were gone.  "Hermione hand me one of their books," he said.

"Why?" asked Hermione.

"Because it's going to take you a while to do them.  I'm sure our numbers will match up," offered Percy.  Hermione handed him the book.  He picked up a quill and started to correct Fred's work.  

The twins' business was very successful for a first quarter.  It came as a mild surprise to Percy.  Part of the books listed which merchandise sold the best.  Most of the names Percy did not recognized, but he decided it was better not to ask.  He really did not want to know what some of it was.  The only thing that mattered were the numbers.  He finished several minutes earlier than Hermione.

"Are you sure that there's nothing wrong with you, Percy?" asked Ginny quietly, when she noticed that he was done.  He could tell that she was trying not to agitate him.  

"Everything is fine, Ginny.  If there was, I would have said so already," replied Percy.

The rest of the time Percy was observing Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny.  Ron and Harry played three games.  Ron won two, while Harry barely won one.  Ginny was now looking through Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts books, while Hermione had finished correcting the books.  She had compared them with Percy's work and found the work was identical.  

"Done," announced Hermione.  

Arthur, Bill and Charlie arrived at that moment.  Percy could hear them talking in the kitchen.  At first, he could hear them greeting each other, but soon enough their voices were muffled.  It was not a surprise.  Percy easily deduced that they were discussing him.  They were not doing a good job of hiding what they were doing.  He waited for them to come into the living room.  

Bill was the first one to enter, followed closely behind by their father and Charlie.  Before Bill could ask, Percy answered, "I'm fine."

Charlie's mouth was agape for a second before he shut it.  He and Bill looked at their father.  "What did the Healer say exactly?" asked Arthur gently.

"Nothing much.  Just some blood tests had to be run that's all.  There was nothing," said Percy.  "Just a bit of a mix up, I think."

Apparently, it was enough for for Arthur because he smiled a little.  "Oh, is that all?  Why didn't you just tell your mother that?  You have her all worked up," he said.

"I haven't had a physical in a while, Father.  That's why I went to the Healer's," explained Percy.  "Besides, I was getting some headaches when I was at work.  The Healer told me to take it easier.  He was right.  All I needed was that week off really."

Only Arthur could understand the stress that Percy was under.  He knew that the Minister of Magic was overworking his staff.  Arthur knew that Fudge was relying more and more on his staff.  Percy was probably getting the brunt of it.  He could imagine how difficult it was for Percy to work for a man he did not have any respect for.

"It's time to get ready for dinner.  Bill.  Charlie.  Percy.  Would you mind setting up the tables?" asked Mrs. Weasley.  "Ron, go and get Fred and George.  I need them to set the table."

"Do you need any help, Mrs. Weasley?" asked Hermione.

"No, dear, that's not necessary," replied Mrs. Weasley.  She returned to the kitchen.  Ron and Harry went up to get the twins, while Bill, Charlie, and Percy went outside to set up the tables.  Ginny and Hermione followed them to the backyard.

Bill and Charlie started their usual table battle as soon as they were in the backyard.  Percy watched them with Hermione and Ginny.  Ginny was giggling at the sight.  Hermione had a small smile on the face, while Percy looked at the scene impassively. 

"GO FOR IT BILL!" shouted one of the twins.

"NO!  GO CHARLIE!" cheered the other twin.

Another fifteen minutes passed before dinner began.  Everyone gathered around the two picnic tables.  Percy took his usual seat next to their father.  He did not want to discuss Ministry business, so he listened to other conversations around the table.

The conversations were filled with carefree discussions about the Gryffindor Quidditch team, dragons, and other things.  Percy was an outsider to all these things; even Harry and Hermione joined in without any trouble.  Percy was constantly alert, looking and hearing for any new information.  

"Percy?  Are you paying any attention?" asked Charlie, snapping Percy out of his train of thought.

"What, Charlie?" he said, not knowing what they were talking about.  He blinked in surprise.

"No, I wasn't," admitted Percy.  "What did you just say?"

"I was talking," said Arthur.  "I was wondering where you moved to.  You don't live at that flat in Diagon Alley anymore, do you?"

Percy was not about to announce that he was currently living in a Muggle neighborhood.  His father had no idea that he had visited Percy's neighborhood.  Percy never submitted his forwarding address to the Ministry.  "I don't, Father," he replied.

"The owl that you sent after your appointment before last wasn't Hermes," said Molly.  She would have known; she was the one who picked Hermes.

"I was in Diagon Alley picking up my robes, so I decided to send it along with one of those owls.  Besides, Hermes stays at the Ministry's Owlery because I usually use him there," explained Percy.  "I live in a nice neighborhood.  It's in London.  I haven't got any flatmates."

Bill thought it sounded strange.  Percy usually bragged about things, but these days he was a man of few words.  Every once in a while, Bill could swear that Percy was annoyed with him about something.  "What about the girl you're seeing?  Or is that none of our business, too?" asked Bill jovially.

"She works in London.  She's an expert in string instruments," said Percy, remembering that Sidney played.  "She doesn't perform that often."

"Doesn't sound like a witch, does she?" asked Charlie musingly.

"She's Muggle born," replied Percy.  "She's not English, but she was raised in England."  None of the things he was saying were lies, per se, because he was really seeing Sidney from time to time.  He was sure that she did not mind.  "She is a witch, but she works with Muggles.  Like I said, she's a musician.  Most of the audience attending her concerts are Muggles."

"So, she probably went to Hogwarts?" quipped Fred, immediately picking up on Percy's mention of England.

"I'll leave you to figure that out.  Her parents weren't from England.  You can't just assume that," said Percy.  He was having fun with this question and answer game.  He wondered if Bill or Charlie had figured out who he was talking about, but he doubted it.  

"You should invite her sometime," said Mrs. Weasley thoughtfully.  "I would like to meet her."

"Perhaps," said Percy noncommittally.  

The evening waned.  Percy left right after Bill and Charlie.  He helped his mother more with the clean up; she said it was not necessary, but he insisted.  His father was in the living room with the others.  When Percy was done helping his mother, he kissed on the cheek goodbye.

"I have to really get going.  I promised that I would go in early tomorrow, Mother," said Percy.  

Molly looked a little surprise as if she had not expected him to leave.  She had no idea why she was like this with him and not the others.  "Yes, you take it easy at work," said Molly as she kissed him on the cheek.  "Go and say good night to your father before leaving, dear."  He nodded.

He wandered his way over the living room.  "Dad, I've got to go now.  I said that I'd be early tomorrow," he said.

"I'll see you at work then," said Arthur, raising to his feet.  "Good night, Percy."

"Good night, Father," said Percy as he Disapparated from the Burrow.

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: That's it for this chapter.  Yet more information for you to keep up with.  Lord Wallace is an enigma.  A cool enigma.  The next two chapters will close this first part of the story before the rest of the story comes into fruition.  Jason Quinn will be introduced in the next chapter.  He's going to be a lot of fun to write.

Anyway, I did very well this term but at the sacrifice of the people who actually might keep up with this story.  There are lots more chapters after this and three arcs have been planned.  I am currently working on the last arc of the story.  I doubt that anyone actually pays attention to this story, but I intend to finish this.

kirikarin.livejournal.com

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.


	10. New York City

Veritas

Part One: Dawning on the Horizon

Chapter Nine - New York City

New York City had one of the biggest wizarding enclaves in the entire world, which was no big surprise.  Many wizards from around the world gathered in the large metropolis.  In fact, the head offices of The Agency of Magic of the United States were located there.  New York City served as the wizard capital of the United States rather than the Muggle capital in Washington, D.C.  It was also a cultural Mecca for both wizards and Muggles.

Percy had Apparated to New York City.  He had reservations at one of the finest hotels near the boarding school that Jason Quinn was attending.  Percy read the file on Jason.  He found he was only sixteen years old.  He was awfully young for recruiting.  He would be the youngest agent yet to be asked to join the Veritas.

Percy found out on his own that Jason was not living with his family.  Boarding schools in the United States were not as prevalent as they were in England.  Even the wizards' schools were not like that.  The schools sent the children home at the end of the day.  Jason was attending one of the few wizards' boarding schools in New England.  

This was Percy's first visit to the United States.  Some wizards still referred to it as "The Colonies."  A name that was already out of date with Muggles in Europe, but still used by wizards regularly.  Percy was enjoying his time in New York City.  

Percy did not venture into the wizarding parts of the city.  He posed as a Muggle on a weekend business trip.  Most anyone would have easily mistaken him for a Muggle.  This mission was also a test of his skills.  He was out of the safety of London, testing his skills in another environment all together.  He was not nervous at all.  

Prior to his departure, Percy had told his parents that he would visit them later in the week, even though his mother had invited him over.  The family was getting ready for the children's return to Hogwarts.  They were all going to go to Diagon Alley.  Even Bill and Charlie were going, but Percy turned down the invitation.  He said that he had to catch up on his work, which was not a complete lie.  Percy was really catching up on his work, just not the work that most people thought he was doing.

His current mission was to recruit Jason Quinn into the Veritas.  Percy quickly discovered that Jason's trips home were infrequent.  He was an only child born into a mixed marriage.  Percy only had a vague idea about how Jason probably felt about it.  Percy thought that Jason's situation was very similar to Harry Potter's.  He had to come up with a way of talking to him.  Percy still thought he was not right for this mission; it would have been better to send Dennis or Sidney.  They were more experienced.  Percy had consulted with Dennis before leaving for New York City via email.  There were procedures, but they were very vague.  Dennis said that they were like that on purpose.  If the procedures were too rigid, they would not be able to recruit people as easily.  To Percy that made little sense.

Jason stayed in the school even during holidays.  Percy found that the school had summer programs, and Jason was attending them.  Percy suspected that Jason did not want to go home at all unless he could avoid it.  A feeling that was familiar to Percy.

Percy was able to find the school easily because the directions were in the file.  He had to look for Jason among the students.  It was very hot in New York City.  It was hotter than England.  It was also very humid, but Percy kept up the appearance that he was undisturbed from it.  He wore black slacks with a short-sleeved light blue shirt.  He wore a black leather jacket over it and a pair of black leather shoes.  His blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.  They worked the same way as his regular glasses and built to read magical energy signals.  He kept his eyes open.  

There were more and more people with magical energy signals as he approached his destination.  Percy knew that there were more and more wizards and witches walking around.  There was at least one out of every ten people under normal circumstances, but he noticed the number going up.  

New York City was very spread out more, but there were still lots of people.  The wizards and witches blended into the crowd.  They were better at pretending that they were Muggles than most European wizards and witches.  Percy assumed that it had something to do with moving to the New World and adjusting to it.  Percy also knew that the Veritas network in the United States was wider, but looser.  

Percy was given a list of contacts who were living and working in New York City.  Percy was assigned a rental car, which was waiting for him in the hotel.  He drove it out to the school. 

The school on the outside resembled an old manor house.  It was over two hundred years old, and it was the oldest school in the entire United States devoted to the education of young wizards and witches.  The school was not know as a school.  Most Muggles could not drive up there at all.  It was still in New York City, but hardly any Muggle noticed it.  

Percy got out of his car and walked up to the gate.  The gate swung open before he even touched it.  He saw a group of teenage witches chatting on the steps of the school.  They looked up at him and stopped talking.

"How may I help you?" asked a girl as she stood up.  "My name is Melissa.  This is Rachel and Anna."

"I am look for Jason Quinn," replied Percy.  His accent made the girls giggly.  They were all blushing like mad now as they looked at him.  He was a good head taller than them.  The tallest girl was Melissa.

"You're English, aren't you?" asked the girl named Rachel.  Percy nodded.  "You have such a wonderful accent."

"Thank you," said Percy. 

"You're looking for Jason?  What for?" asked Anna.  She seemed the most aware of the three girls. She was looking at him accusatorily.

"It is official business," replied Percy.  "I am not at liberty to say."

"Don't tell me that he's finally getting arrested?  It's about damn time," said Melissa.  "Did you know that he's the one who set loose those imps in the courtyard?  He's done a lot of stuff.  I'm not surprised that he's done something illegal."

None of this information was in Jason's file.  At that moment, Percy was reminded strongly of Fred and George.  He suppressed the smile that was tugging at the corners of his mouth.  He kept his face neutral.

"He did that?" asked Rachel with wide eyes.

Anna rolled her eyes at her.  "You're so stupid.  Of course, he did it.  He's always the one doing that stuff."

"I didn't know," said Rachel; her feelings were mildly hurt.

"Look, I don't know where Jason is right now, but I'm sure that he'll show up one way or another," went on Melissa.

"Is there a main office I can go to?" asked Percy.

"Yeah, just straight down this hall," replied Anna.  "Just talk to Mrs. Gonzales at the front."

"Thank you," replied Percy.  "Have a nice day."

"Yeah, have a nice day!" called out Rachel as he walked off.  He was not even out of ear shot when he heard them explode into a fit of giggles.  He shook his head and kept going.

Mrs. Gonzales was a young witch.  She was dressed in crisp robes.  Her hair was up in a tight bun and she wore glasses that were perched practically at the end of her nose.  She strongly reminded Percy of Professor McGonagall.  Percy was sure that she was younger, but her style spoke otherwise.  

"I am looking for Jason Quinn," said Percy.  He presented the forged identification that the graphics department had created.  He had his real identification in his other pocket.  Mrs. Gonzales took a glance at his identification.

"You're from the Agency of Magic?" asked Mrs. Gonzales.  "What business do you have with Mr. Quinn?"

"I came to discuss his current situation," replied Percy in a firm voice.  He really did not want to use his magic to convince Mrs. Gonzales to let him through.  He could not blame her, but she was starting to become a nuisance.  Percy had to find Jason Quinn; he only had the weekend.  He had to show up at work in the Ministry of Magic in London by Monday.

Mrs. Gonzales pursed her lips before picking up a piece a paper.  She wrote down a note on it and sent it along.  It was one of those flying memos, just like the ones used in the Ministry.  Percy waited patiently for a good fifteen minutes.

Jason was a Metamorphmagus, so Percy could not be sure about what he looked like currently.  To his surprise, a young boy came up to the office.  He had dark brown hair and hazel colored eyes.  His eyes were wide with a twinkle of mischief.  He appeared to be younger than sixteen, but he was about average in height.  Percy was taller than him.  

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Gonzales," greeted the boy.  He was smiling.  "Why did you summon me?"

"Because he wants to talk to you," replied Mrs. Gonzales as she nodded towards Percy.  The boy's smile faded away immediately.  

"Oh," he said.  "I'm Jason Quinn, but you already know that."

"Hello, my name is Percy.  Would you mind giving me a tour?" asked Percy pleasantly.  This was the first time that Percy had ever set foot into another wizardry and witchcraft school, so he was a bit curious about it.  He thought about how his family was gathering at Diagon Alley, preparing to send Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny back to Hogwarts.  Percy knew that Jason was by himself.  

"What?" asked Jason with a raised eyebrow.

"Mr. Quinn, do not be rude," warned Mrs. Gonzales.  Jason scowled at her before glaring at Percy.  "You came all the way from England just to ask me to give a tour?"

"Yes," replied Percy steadily.

Predictably, Jason rolled his eyes at him.  "Fine," he muttered.  "I have nothing better to do anyway."  Percy followed him down the hallway.

England had much cooler weather than New York in the summer.  It was not as humid, but of course, the Weasleys did not know that.  Most of them were gathered at Diagon Alley, but it was not just for the purpose of picking up school supplies.  Bill and Charlie came along to protect Harry during the trip.  They had to be careful.  Other members of the Order would be joining them.  The only member who ducked out of going was Percy, which bothered Fred and George immensely.  However, Percy managed to excuse himself by saying that he had to catch up on his ever growing amount of work at the Ministry.  He told them that almost every weekend he had to take the time to catch up.  It was all so that he could keep up appearances with Minister Fudge.  Unfortunately, for Fred and George, their father had agreed with Percy.  Arthur thought it was best for Fudge to think that Percy was still loyal to him.  Fred and George both agreed that Percy was just looking for an excuse out of something as mundane as guard duty.  

Harry was aware of all the trouble that was surrounding him.  Every time he tried to apologize for the inconvenience, he was quickly stopped.  Ron told Harry that it was so much more interesting seeing some of the members without a meeting and being able to talk to them more.  Hermione agreed with Ron.  It had been ages since they had gone to Diagon Alley.  For their fourth and fifth years, Molly Weasley had gone to Diagon Alley and picked up all their supplies.

"If you ask me, Percy should have come," said Fred as casually as possible without being accusatory.  

"He couldn't, so just let it go," said Charlie.

"I can't believe he's still pretending that he actually likes what he's doing," said George.  "Makes you kind of think, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean?" asked Bill.  "He's only doing it because he needs to stay there."

"That's not what I mean.  Doesn't it make you wonder sometimes?  I mean he's really good at doing that.  I would have never guessed it until that meeting.  It's sort of deceptive if you asked me," said George thoughtfully.

"Percy is not a liar," stated Charlie in a firm voice.  "He's just got a high tolerance for things."

"Yeah, it's so high," said Fred sarcastically.  

"People act differently around their family than they do around other people," pointed out Bill.

The four brothers were waiting outside of Gringotts Bank for the others.  Bill waited outside because he just did not want to think of work.  His weekends were his weekends away from the bank and work.  Bill thought of Fleur whenever he thought of work.  She was a wonderful girl, but he was starting to have the feeling that he was being fettered and constrained.  He knew she was not doing it on purpose, but he could barely stand it at times.  

Fleur had a tendency to spend a lot of time with Bill during their free time.  It was partially due to the fact that Fleur did not know a lot of people in England, but Bill thought that if she went out more by herself she could make more friends that way.  He was starting to dislike being dragged around and her insisting that they spend every waking moment together.  Sure, Bill liked being around her, but he wished that they would spend time apart as well.  Fleur was always talking about how things were either at work or in France.  She did not really think that England was very comfortable.  Bill had to admit that she was a little self-centered.  She was beautiful and had some Veela magic in her, so she was able to attract the attention of most men, Bill included.  Whenever Fleur noticed Bill's attention slip even the slightest bit, she would turn on her Veela charm.  Unfortunately, she would inadvertently attract the attention of other males within proximity, causing more trouble than good.  It was as if she had such a tentative hold over him.  Fleur was simple to understand, while Bill was harder.  Maybe, it was the age gap.  She was younger than him a year younger than Percy.  

Bill had the feeling that Percy did not like Fleur very much.  He did not say it in so many words.  When she was mentioned, Percy did not join in.  Bill had a feeling that Percy was indifferent towards her, but it was bordering along the lines of dislike.  If there was one thing that Bill knew about Percy for sure, it was the fact that one could never really tell what Percy's motives were.  Not that was it a bad thing, but it made it difficult to get along with him.

"Well, let's go and get the supplies," said Molly.  "Now, no one is to go off anywhere by themselves.  I will go and have tea with the Grangers and your father, so you will listen to Bill and Charlie.  They're in charge."  

"Yes, Mum," chorused Ron and Ginny, while Harry and Hermione nodded.  They knew all the security proceedings.  Bill and Charlie managed to convince their mother that they could watch the children, while she had some time to herself.  

"All right, be careful," added Arthur.  "We'll be at the Leaky Cauldron.  Do not get separated."  All the parents left together with a last, lingering look from Molly.  

"Let's see what do you want to do first?" asked Bill.  "We could go and get your spells and potions supplies last so that we don't have to carry that stuff around."

"Let's go to Fred and George's shop," said Ginny.  "Too bad Percy couldn't make it."  She added as an after thought.

"Ministry business, even though he didn't sound too enthusiastic about it," Ron reminded her.  "He was as happy as he was when he was measuring cauldron bottoms."

"He could have used coming here as an excuse to get out of his work," said George.

"Let's not talk about it," said Charlie.  "Here's the plan, we'll go and get some new robes and some potion supplies.  We'll just drop the stuff off at Fred and George's shop before going for some ice cream, then the books.  Okay, who's got the money?" 

Ron held up the sack of gold that his mother had handed to him.  "Here, take it," he said.  He had already almost mixed up his Galleon for Dumbledore's Army with the gold that was in the sack.  He had no idea that his elder brothers, except for Percy, were putting part of their pay into the family vault.  No one out of the D.A. told anyone about the Galleon, not even Fred and George, who were no longer members since they left school.

"All right, that's the plan," said Bill.  "Let's keep our eyes open."

They were not the only ones who had to keep their eyes open.  Another man was watching them carefully and reporting their movements.  The Veritas knew that Harry Potter would be in Diagon Alley because of Percy's report.  They also had to keep an eye on him.  Just in case.

Jason Quinn was wondering what was going on.  He watched Percy from time to time, who had remained silently observant.  Jason wondered who Percy was.  He was a very observant young man.  He could tell just by watching that Percy was no ordinary person.  He carried himself with an air of silent confidence that disguised an undercurrent of power that Jason did not noticed at first.  

"What the Hell are you doing here?  Who do you think you are?" demanded Jason as soon as they were out of ear shot of anyone who could reprimand him.  He was already skating on thin ice with most of the faculty and staff.  They had threatened to expel him, if he did not stop.  Jason did not want to go home to either of side of his family, so he had toned down his behavior.

"You don't like here much do you?" asked Percy out loud without preamble.  "You don't feel like you belong anywhere, not since your parents' deaths."  He watched Jason's features contort again.  Jason was a very emotional person.  His face first twisted into anger before settling on a forlorn, almost lost look.

"What do you know about it?" spat Jason.  He glared at Percy whose calm façade irked him greatly.  "You're here because you feel sorry for the little orphan boy?  I've had enough of people feeling sorry for me.  And don't you stand there and tell me you can relate!  You can't!"

He was breathing deeply.  His mother had disappeared last year, only to have her body found nine months later.  The Muggle authorities, who had found her body, could not determine cause of death, but the wizarding community knew what it was.  Many people tried to understand, but they couldn't.  He stared at Percy as if to dare him to say something.  Anything.  To his surprise, there was a touch of sympathy in his eyes, not pity.

The silence was almost unbearable.  "Say something!  Go ahead say something!" he shouted.

"I will not pretend to understand, Jason," said Percy quietly.  "I am merely here to offer you an opportunity."

"What?" 

"You have a lot of potential, Jason.  You and I know you don't belong here.  You have certain talents that you can use."

"What are you talking about?"

"Didn't you break into the Muggle government computers?  Or how about your ability to change you features at will?"

Jason paled.  He stepped back a little away from Percy.  No one in the wizarding world knew about his little computer escapades.  His father had caught him before he had died, and told him never to do it again.  Jason complied, but kept his skills up.  

"You work for the government, don't you?" asked Jason.  

"No and yes," replied Percy.  "I have two jobs.  Anyway, I work for an organization that believes in the preservation of life."

Jason looked at him skeptically with an eyebrow raised.  "Who are you really?" he asked.

"My name is Percy Weasley.  I am from England.  I don't work for the Agency of Magic in the United States, but I work for the Ministry of Magic in England."

"I have news for you: your Minister's a moron.  You-Know-Who's been back for a year and he covered it up," said Jason.  

Percy nodded.  "I know.  He was the one who told me that Professor Dumbledore was mad.  I did not know what to think.  Over time, I grew to believe things that were different from people I knew."

"What is this organization?  You're not talking about the Ministry of Magic, are you?" asked Jason, his curiosity piqued.  Percy was looking at him, reading him.  Jason found himself a little uncomfortable.

"I cannot tell you right now.  I do know that you don't like it here.  I know that you've been tossed back and forth between family members.  You only attend this school so that you don't have to go to either family.  You don't cause trouble because you're deprived of attention.  You cause trouble because you're smart and you're bored.  This place is making you go stir crazy, isn't it?"

Jason opened his mouth and stared at Percy for a moment.  He was about to say something, but he looked away from him.  "You and your organization just want to use me," he muttered.  "You don't think that the Agency of Magic isn't interested in me."

"I don't doubt that they are.  You don't like the establishment anyway," said Percy wisely.  "You like to live on the edge, don't you?  That's partly why you do what you do.  And confidentially, your pranks lack a little imagination."  He said the last part in a lower voice.

"What do you mean 'lack a little imagination?'" asked Jason indignantly.  He gestured with his fingers, making quotation marks.

Percy smiled a little bit.  "You're a rank amateur.  I've seen better," he replied.  Jason narrowed his eyes at him.  "In England, there's a new joke shop.  I know the owners."

"Look, I don't know what game you're trying to play, but I'll have to decline," said Jason.

"You know that Voldemort wants to kill not only Muggles, but those of Muggle descent and any other Muggle supporters," stated Percy.

Jason gasped.  He had never heard anyone say Voldemort's name out loud like that.  He stared at Percy.  He felt a shiver ran through him as he looked at Percy's very calm face.  "You happen to be one," he added in a whisper.  "You and thousands of other people.  Do you really think that your Agency of Magic or any another magical government cares?  You may not want to be around your family, but I'm sure that you don't want anything to happen to them."

"I can't believe you just said it," murmured Jason.  

"A name cannot hurt us," said Percy firmly.  "Do you understand that I am not here because I seek to harm you?"

"I know what he wants to do," said Jason.  "What can I do about it?  They think that the Death Eaters were the ones who attacked and killed my mom.  There's nothing I can do about it.  Do you know how easy it is for him to find followers in this country?  This country has more hate groups than any other in the world.  And different kinds as well.  Wizard and otherwise."

"As I have said, I am here to offer you an opportunity.  A chance to help.  You have so much potential, but it is your choice.  This is the only chance you get.  Are you ready to hear me out?" said Percy in a quiet voice.  Jason nodded, more and more intrigued by the second.  "Then, let me explain."

The man who was watching Harry and the rest of the group was still reporting back to the offices.  His codename was Oberon.  He was careful to keep himself obscure.  "Asmodeus, do you read me?"

"Yes, what's your status?" 

"It remains the same."

"Tell me, if there's any change."

"Will do, Sir."

Oberon continued his watch.  He had to make sure that everything was safe.  He did not know much about the other agent, Omega.  Oberon thought it would have been better if Omega had taken the case rather than go off on a recruitment mission.  Oberon did not voice his opinions because the orders came from Alpha.  Questioning Alpha was not done regularly, and only those with the highest of rankings could do that.  So, Oberon had little choice, but to keep watch.  He knew how important Harry Potter was to the future of the wizarding world.  

Jason had a lot to think about.  He heard Percy out, and was surprised to find out about an organization that was devoted to not only the preservation of the wizarding world, but to the protection of the Muggles.  It was a group that represented what Jason was.  

"You're also part Muggle, aren't you?" asked Jason quietly when Percy was done.

"No, but my parents have taught me to appreciate all life," replied Percy mildly.

"What happens to me, if I agree to it?" asked Jason.

Percy studied him for a moment.  "You will start your training for the field.  You can't start immediately because you are still working on your schooling.  Besides, you need more training than what any school can give you."

"How will that happen?" asked Jason.

"This school isn't exactly safe.  You'll probably be transferred to Hogwarts in England," said Percy.  "I went there along with the rest of my family."

"It's the school that Albus Dumbledore heads up, isn't it?  The same school that Harry Potter attends," said Jason.

Percy nodded.  "They're both good people.  I've met them both.  I was still attending school when Harry Potter came in.  You're the same age as him."

"After that I get trained, right?" asked Jason.

"Yes, but you can also get trained during the summers.  You've got two more to go," said Percy.  "If you don't agree to this, I'll wipe your memory clean along with everyone else who saw me here today."

"How long will you give me?" asked Jason softly.

"As long as I am here," replied Percy.

"I need to think about this," said Jason.

"Is there any place to grab a cup of tea?" asked Percy.

"Yes, the cafeteria.  This way," answered Jason as he led Percy to the cafeteria.

An hour passed before Jason said anything.  He was thinking about his life.  He had no direction ever since his parents had died.  He did not have some grand destiny like Harry Potter.  He had no purpose and no guide.  Part of Jason envied Percy for having confidence, inversely Jason admired him as well.  He wished that he could be as self-assured.

"Fine," he said when the hour was up.

Percy looked at him with raised eyebrows, but settled again.  "Very well.  Let's get going.  We've got to get you out of here."  He opened the case that he had brought with him and dug up a file.  "These are documents for your transfer.  All we have to do is submit them to Mrs. Gonzales.  Do you think there will be any other problem?"

"No, I don't think so," said Jason as he shook his head.  "I think they'll be glad to be rid of me.  Too bad I couldn't leave with a bang."

Percy knew that was a Muggle phrase, so he did not have to ask.  He knew about Fred and George's departure from Hogwarts, which was no doubt the stuff of legends.  "There are worse things," he said.

"What about my family?" asked Jason.  "Not that either side will care really, but what about them?"

"They will be informed," replied Percy.  "The others will take care of it.  My job is to escort you to England and get you acquainted with the organization."

"Oh," said Jason.  "When do we leave for England?"

"Not right away, but you can get out of the school now, if you want," said Percy.

"Yes, I want to get out of here," said Jason happily.  For some odd reason, he felt like he was doing the right thing.  It was the first time in over a year that Jason felt some kind of happiness.  At that moment, everything made sense.

It did not take long for Jason Quinn to transfer over his records to Hogwarts.  His family was contacted and the wizarding side gave their approval.  Jason had his stuff packed up in a hurry; it was being sent ahead of time to one of the Veritas' safe spots.  He left the school with Percy.

Everything was going off without a hitch.  It was now evening time in New York City.  Percy had brought along his laptop to send messages back to the Veritas.  Jason, not to Percy's surprse, had one as well.  He was using it to type something.

Percy was only on the network for a moment when he noticed something odd.  There was something waiting for him on the network, not even an email message.  Just something for him that was waiting there, the moment he logged on.

"What is it?" asked Jason, noticing Percy's change in expression.

"It's a message," replied Percy as he brought it up.  The message read:

**_"Omega…come…and…help…me…"_**

Jason stood up and looked at the screen.  "_Omega_?"

"That's me.  This was waiting for me," said Percy.  He went to go check his email.  To his puzzlement, it had been swamped with messages.  

"Looks like a lot of spam," said Jason.  "But it's all from the same person.  Weird.  Do you mind?"

Percy did not know as much about computers as Jason did.  He was after all a computer hacker.  Percy moved aside to allow Jason access.  Percy watched Jason open a message.  "Definitely weird."

**_Omega…come…and…find…me…help…me…please…Omega…_**

"It looks like someone really needs to get some help from you, but why you?" asked Jason.

"I don't know," answered Percy, utterly puzzled.  

"Let's see if I can trace the email.  Almost anything on the net can be tracked back to its original source.  Unless, of course, this person used something to keep the IP address moving," said Jason, trying to keep the computer terms in layman's terms.  "This is quite a network you've got here.  I've hacked into the CIA and the FBI computers for fun before, but this network is more secure.  I'm a bit out of practice because of the school.  Before my mom died, I was attending a public wizards' school that allowed me to go home everyday.  She made sure that I stayed in touch with my Muggle roots and obeyed the law of underage use of magic by not allowing any magic to be used at home.  She let me use my computer…I don't think she ever realized what I was doing."

"I think that the company has people like you on staff.  They're the ones who built the network," said Percy.  "It's all mumbo jumbo to me."

"Hmm," said Jason as he kept doing things to the network that Percy could not understand.  "Whoa."  He muttered after a moment.  "No way."

"What?" asked Percy in alarm.  "This is a security breach.  How bad is it?"

"I thought that was only a rumor," said Jason.

"What?" demanded Percy again.

"EVE.  It's this computer program that can hack into any system in the world.  I thought it was only a rumor, but this computer doesn't just hack.  On the web, specifically in IRC, there's this thing about a computer program.  It works just as fast as the human brain, but that's impossible to do.  The human brain is highly complex.  However, this computer can move just as quickly and can plan things accurately.  It can also hack into any system in the world.  Even I can't do that," explained Jason.

"What does EVE stand for?" asked Percy.

"Don't know.  No one does," replied Jason.  "EVE is supposed to be in this corporation's headquarters.  No one knows exactly where though."

"Why would the computer contact me?" asked Percy.

"No idea," replied Jason.  "However, this is one hell of a breach of security."

Percy frowned.  He did not like the sounds of it.  "I'll have to send a report."

"You better do it quickly, but I don't suggest using the computer.  I'll have to check to see if there's a worm virus in your computer now," said Jason.  He knew a lot about high tech security; after all, he had broken a couple of laws himself, but was never caught.

"I'll use my cell," said Percy.  Just then, his cell rang.  He looked at Jason before picking it up.  "Hello?"

"Omega…help…me…"

The line went dead.

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: This is the second to last chapter for this first part.  Jason's codename will be revealed in the next chapter.  What will happen next?  Needless to say, not all will be going as planned.  I've been writing this story at this point for just over a month.  Part of the problem was me, but I was changing things to suit the story better.  I've got so many influences running through me with this one.  I am trying my best for it to fit.  I've watched and read a little too much.

Wow, I didn't know people actually read the author's notes.  I just casually mentioned that I didn't think people were following this story.  I guess I was wrong.  Sorry for the lack of updates even though I was off hiatus.  I ran into technical difficulties.  My backspace key broke, so I had to get it replaced.  The good news is that I now have a new keyboard for my laptop.  ^_^

kirikarin.livejournal.com

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.


	11. EVE

Veritas

Part One: Dawning on the Horizon

Chapter Ten - EVE

The security breach of the Veritas network provoked a lot of concern from the higher offices, which led to the head of the Veritas, Alpha.  The emergency security breach required a swift course of action.  The people in charge of the network began to do the work of figuring out how someone managed to breach the system in the first place.  

Another group was dispatched to find more information about EVE.  They had to send the information another way.  Jason was trying his best with his computer to look for information from their end.  Percy had to make a few more calls.  He was probably not going to show up for work on Monday, which would not only arouse suspicion with the Ministry, but with the Order as well.

Percy placed his priorities with the Veritas.  If there was a security breach, it would no doubt affect everyone involved.  It did not matter to Percy what happened in the Ministry or with the Order.  Percy was prepared to send a message to the Ministry, telling them that he could not come to work.  He was simply going to say that he was ill.  Jason and Percy couldn't just take a portkey back.

Jason kept working for hours on end, trying to figure out what happened.  "Can they send any messages?" he asked after four hours of working nonstop.

"It may not be safe to do so," said Percy.  "We've entered lock down.  We can't send anything for the next twenty-four hours.  We can't even use owls or the telephones."

"I don't see why we can't use owls, Percy.  EVE only attacked the network, so the phones can't be used, but owls should be," pointed Jason.

"We can't be sure of anything at this point," said Percy as he paced back and forth.  "Either way, we have to find out what's going on."

"Did you get anymore calls?  What about the voice?" asked Jason.

"The voice was very faint.  It sounded strange.  I've heard computerized voices before, but it sounded human," replied Percy.  "The person was asking me for help.  Do you think that someone accessed EVE to send the message?"

Jason looked thoughtful for a moment.  "That's a possibility.  People say that the corporation that built EVE also violated a lot of human rights.  Although, it couldn't be proven.  The authorities dismissed the people who reported as conspiracy nuts," he said.

Percy paced again.  "I'm not sure if the voice was even human," he muttered.  "It's just weird.  Why would this person contact me?  There are other Veritas agents in the area.  I was only supposed to be here for the weekend.  And with the time change, I'll already be missing work at the Ministry.  Someone has to cover for me there and come up with something."

"Maybe, that's it," said Jason thoughtfully.  "This person knows that you are only in New York City for a limited time.  And this person also knows that you're from England."

Percy's eyebrows creased with thought.  He paced again.  "You're also different from the other agents, aren't you?" pointed out Jason as he continued looking through Percy's computer.  "You're awfully young to be an agent.  At least you appear to be."  

Percy collapsed onto his bed.  He had not slept since he found those messages waiting for him on his computer.  He was exhausted.  Glancing up at the ceiling, his thoughts whirled around his head, trying to come up with an explanation.  His brain was too tired to come up with one.  Percy realized that he was affected by what the Muggles commonly called "jet-lag."  Despite, the fact that he had Apparated to New York rather than taking a plane, his body felt the lost hours.  It was now affecting his brain.

"Go to sleep," muttered Jason.  "I'll just order room service.  I'll wake you up when I have something."  He could not stand anymore of Percy's pacing.  It was nearly driving him mad.

Percy closed his eyes.  _I just need to rest for a while.  Just a little bit._  He surrendered to slumber.

It was already Sunday in England.  Everyone had returned from Diagon Alley without incident.  Hermione was already happily reading her new spell books for the next year.  They had a lot of time on their hands.  The visit to Diagon Alley was early just in case anything happened that they had to concern themselves with.  

Apparently, Percy's birthday had rolled around, but he was no where to be found.  Molly was looking frantically at her clock from time to time, but it only said that Percy was at work.  She thought of sending him a present, which she had picked up at Diagon Alley.  She and Arthur went there early to pick out something for Percy.

"Arthur, it says that he's working," said Molly.  "It's like he's forgotten what day it is."

"Maybe, he just doesn't feel like celebrating," said Arthur.

"What are they talking about?" asked Harry quietly to Ron.

Ron was cleaning his broomstick.  "It's Percy's birthday today.  Last year, we didn't exactly celebrate it.  You know because of what happened."

"Mum's worried.  Ron, why don't you lend her Pig?" suggested Ginny.

Hermione looked up from her book and said, "Harry, what about Hedwig?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other and nodded.  "Hedwig's never failed to make a delivery before," said Harry as he and Ron stood up to go to the kitchen.

Molly and Arthur looked at them as they came in.  "Mum," started Ron, "I was thinking why don't we just send an owl.  Harry and I could send our owls out so that Errol doesn't have to go.  If you send him, Percy will have to wait until next year to get his present."

"It's not that simple, Ron," said Arthur.  "It's been a bit strange.  You see most of the time, Percy answers his letters from the Ministry.  But, he's not there this weekend.  Also, your brother never gave his forwarding address to the Ministry when he moved.  The Ministry always keeps regular addresses of each of the employees.  It's just easier on the owls."

Ron glanced at Harry for a moment.  They knew that Hermione and Ginny were probably listening from the other room.  "It doesn't hurt to try, Mum," said Ron.  "We could just send the owls out."  Harry nodded in agreement.

"Your father might be right.  Percy probably doesn't want to celebrate," said Molly.  "He's too busy with work."

"No one is too busy to get a birthday card, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry.  He did not like seeing her that upset.  

"Percy might think that you're still mad at him, Arthur," said Molly quietly as she glanced at her husband.

Arthur shook his head.  "I'm not mad at him anymore.  Just because we had a fight, doesn't mean he stops being a member of this family.  And we're all on the same side now, Molly.  I've talked with him at work, and everything seems fine."

"Then, where is he, Arthur?" asked Molly.

"I have no idea, Molly," replied Arthur sadly.

Ron and Harry did not look at each other, but started to think that there was something going on with Percy.  No one had any idea that things were about to get interesting.

Jason made a breakthrough after a few more hours of work.  He decided to wake up Percy, but found that he was already sitting up.  "How did you know?" asked Jason.

"I heard you stop typing long enough," said Percy as he stood up to stretch.  "What did you find?"

"I found out that the EVE is in New York.  Upstate New York to be exact.  It took a while to trace," said Jason, not getting into the specifics.

"Where is it exactly?" asked Percy as he came up from behind.  He looked at the map that Jason had on the screen.  "Is that the building plan?"

"Yeah, but something strange about this.  As if it wasn't weird enough to start with.  It was a little too easy for me.  Like someone left the backdoor open for me to go through," said Jason.  "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"I've had a bad feeling since this started," said Percy.  

"What are you going to do?" asked Jason.

"I have no idea.  Without any orders from headquarters, we're pretty much stuck," answered Percy as he looked at the screen.  "It does not look like it would be that hard to get inside.  Not for a wizard away."

"Hey…why don't we do a rescue mission?" suggested Jason eagerly as his eyes widened.  "This person probably does need help."

"Or it could be some kind of elaborate trap," pointed out Percy.  "Either way, this security breach will have to be dealt with."

"You mean that we have to get inside this thing?  It's called the Fortress," said Jason.  "That's what the plans say anyway."

"Who said anything about us?" asked Percy.  "You're not an official agent.  You haven't had the proper training and you're still in regular wizarding school."

"But—"

"No," said Percy forcefully.  "Besides, you have skills that can only be used outside.  If something happens to me, someone has to send a report in."

Jason scowled at him and folded his arms over his chest.  He was no child.  He was sixteen years old.  But, something in Percy's demeanor told Jason not to further challenge him.  Percy looked like he was in deep thought.  He was coming up with a plan.

"In cases like these, a field agent usually has to report back to headquarters or the nearest headquarters prior to going on a mission.  However, we're on lock down, so that is not feasible at the moment," said Percy thoughtfully as he recalled the field operations manual.  "So, that means that we could do an emergency mission."

"Are you serious?" asked Jason.  "We could do a mission."

"Yes, but you would have to stay here.  We can't have both of us in there.  I can use my magic to get inside and disarm things that way.  It wouldn't be that hard to do.  You can also guide me to the computer once I get inside."

Jason decided it was a fair compromise.  He was not completely shut out, and he had to begrudgingly admit that Percy was right about everything.  Not that Jason would ever voice it out loud.  He did not do that to any adults.  Jason did not respect any form of authority.  

"We have to move quickly and dissolve this problem," said Percy as he stood up.  "Let's get ready."

"Umm…not that I don't trust you, but have you ever done anything like this before?" asked Jason.

"No," replied Percy.  He looked through his equipment, which could not be opened by normal Muggle ways.  He opened a case, which had a Muggle weapon in it.

All Veritas agents, field or otherwise, were trained in Muggle firearms.  It was required because they had to venture into the Muggle world all the time.  The Veritas were careful not to use magic in front of the Muggles, and sometimes they had to make things look like what the Muggles would expect.

Percy put together a gun piece by piece.  He loaded the bullets into the cartridge.  Percy had had a lot of practice, but he had never used it in the field before.  It was the first time he ever had a field mission in the Muggle world.  He had to calm himself.  He could not afford to lose his cool.  He slid the cartridge into the gun and locked it in.

"Whoa," said Jason when he came in and saw the gun.  "You're going to use that?"

"If necessary," responded Percy evenly.  "You will have to use your computer from here.  Keep a lock on me at all times."  He went through the equipment and found the ear piece he needed to maintain contact.  He handed the other piece to Jason.  "You are not leave and come after me under any circumstances.  If anything happens to me, get out of the hotel and keep my cell with you."  Percy took off his cell phone and handed it to Jason.  "Do you understand?"

Jason blinked as if he had been stupefied.  "Do you understand?" repeated Percy.  "Are you all right?"

"Maybe, this is a trap," said Jason.  

"Possibly, but either way we can't wait around here and do nothing," said Percy.

"That's not what I meant.  What if it's a trap for you specifically?" asked Jason.  

"Yes, I was thinking that, but we haven't got much of a choice," replied Percy.  "Just stay here.  I'll Apparate over there and I'll turn on the communications."

"You mean to tell me that you can transport, let alone Apparate, with Muggle contraptions that run on electricity?" asked Jason incredulously.  

"I got here by Apparating.   The Veritas know how to keep everything compatible, so to speak," said Percy.  "Someone will explain it all later to you if you want.  It's time."

"Fine," said Jason.  "I'll monitor you from there.  I'll see if I can break into the security system and take it down.  Give me five minutes from the point you Apparate from before moving at all."  Percy nodded.  The plan was that he Apparate to one part of the Fortress that had minimal security measures.  "And one more…" Jason stopped.  Percy had already Disapparated.  "Good luck," whispered Jason.  "You're going to need it."

Percy Apparated just outside the compound.  It looked peaceful enough.  He saw two guards stationed at the front.  It would take only a weak stunning spell to knock them out.  He looked at his watch and turned on his ear piece, waiting for Jason to respond.

"Are you positioned?" asked Jason.

"Yes."

"Okay, I'm almost done.  There.  Go."

Percy Apparated forward.  He immediately stunned the guards with his wand.  The Muggles would not be able to trace it as easily.  He walked through the inside.  He noticed that there were cameras, but they turned off.  He walked forward carefully.  "Where?" he whispered.

"The whole thing is like a maze," said Jason.  "I'm trying to figure out the shortest route there.  The main computer room is on a sublevel.  That's where EVE is."

"Which?" 

"It's on the last sublevel down.  There are thirty sublevels."

Percy knew there was more to the building than the outside.  From the outside, it looked only six stories high.  Most of the building was underground, which reminded Percy of the Ministry.  He kept going, looking for a stairwell.  He froze when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching.  Percy quickly activated a Disillusionment Charm to blend in with his surroundings.  

"I didn't here from Jackson and Richards for a while.  The cameras went down," said one of the guards.  There were three of them.  Percy could not let them find the other guards.  He stunned them before they could move.  They doubled over onto the floor.  Percy very carefully stepped over them.

"Where?" 

"Whatever you do, don't take an elevator.  That's American English for 'lift.'  There's a chance that someone can shut it down.  I'm trying to take control of the building, but something is happening.  EVE isn't helping anymore."

Percy looked around.  He had to find a stairwell.  Jason was right.  He could not take the elevator.  He also had to keep his other senses open.  The hall was dark, but it looked very elegant from what Percy could see.

The floor was fine marble, most likely Italian.  The pillars looked Greco-Roman.  Carvings of vines wrapped around the pillars, climbing up to the ceiling.  The ceiling had chandeliers hanging from them.  The glass was like crystal tears, but there were no paintings.  The ceiling had arches that curved in a welcoming manner.  It was deceptively beautiful.  None of the things, Percy was looking at were very welcoming.  He did know much about the people who ran the building, but the rumors of violations against human rights hung over him.  

"Percy," hissed Jason's voice.  "You need to get to the stairwell.  I know the way.  Where are you positioned right now?"

"Main entry hall."

"Go forward until you reach the next hallway.  Keep going until you reach a fork.  Take the right and keep going.  You will pass some locked doors.  Don't stop for anything.  You have to keep going.  You'll find a stairwell.  Keep going until you reach the bottom level."

"Later."  Percy cut him off and kept going, following Jason's directions.  He could hear the sounds of more guards coming.  He had to stun them as he kept going.  Percy ducked around a corner, and whispered into his mouth piece.  "I can't keep this up.  I'll never get to the sublevel this way."

"Let me access the cameras," said Jason.  "Give me a minute.  Don't move."

Percy held his breath, waiting for Jason to say something.  He heard the sounds of more guards running around.  He could hear them scrambling and panicking, which was something he could use.  "Lock everything down!" shouted someone.

"We can't.  The security system is down.  We can't access it.  Five of the men are down.  I have no idea what hit them," said another.

"What about EVE?" whispered someone.

"Never mind that," muttered the first person who spoke.  "We'll have to do a manual lock down.  If the person is still inside, we'll trap him in."

"Hey," said Jason finally.  "I've got access to the cameras now.  I'm seeing them.  They're going to lock you inside."

"It doesn't matter.  I can get out," said Percy.  "I should have just Apparated straight inside.  It's nothing, just Muggle contraptions."

"That's it.  You can short out the equipment," said Jason brightly.  

"No," whispered Percy.  "If I use too much magic, the wizarding authorities will catch on.  Besides, we don't know what this building is.  There could be magical things that we don't know about."

"Okay.  I guess I could do something.  After all, I'll be out of this country by the time they figure something out," said Jason.  "I'll cut off the power source, but it will take out the surrounding complexes.  And there's a backup generator for the Fortress."

"How long?" whispered Percy.

"Let me see," said Jason.  "Damn.  I'm sorry.  I can only take it down for three minutes before the backup generator activates."

"It's enough.  Do it."

"Okie, dokie."

The guards started to move the doors.  Percy did not panic because there was no way they could hold him inside.  He could get out very easily, even without Apparating.  He heard the sounds of great metal doors coming down and sealing off sections of the Fortress.  Suddenly, the lights started to flicker.  They went out in succession.  Finally, everything was black.  

"Go.  Three minutes."

Percy started to move from his spot.  He ignored the sounds of the guards running around and shouting about the lights shutting off.  "Stop it!" shouted the head guard.  "Shut the Hell up!  There's a generator.  It will kick in any minute."

Percy noticed the edge of panic in his voice.  "Can you do something about the generator?" he asked.

"I can't.  It's contained within the Fortress," said Jason.  "I know where it is."

"Never mind that.  Look for the shortest and fastest route out of here from the lowest sublevel," said Percy.

"Will do."

Percy did not have to ask for more directions.  He had to phase through a metal door to get through the next hallway.  It was one of the magical techniques taught in the Veritas Training Requirement.  The field agents were sometimes called "wallwalkers."  They could break through almost any barrier and make magical barriers at will.  Percy was very well trained just as any Veritas agent.

He finally reached the stairwell and went down the stairs.  It seemed endless.  He kept going deeper and deeper.  Percy thought that he was traveling to the depths of Hell itself, but it was getting colder as he got deeper.  He was getting worried about whether or not Jason could contact him at all.

He stopped suddenly because he had noticed that the numbering was gone.  It stopped at twenty.  He glanced at his watch.  He had been moving for two minutes.  It was now the third minute.  He had to get to the bottom by that time.  "Forget it," Percy muttered as he phased through the remaining stairs below him.

Percy barely stopped at the bottom.  There was another metal door.  Percy took a deep breath before phasing through it.  "_Lumos_," he whispered in the pitch black darkness.  The tip of his wand lit up; his eyes quickly scanned the room.  Nothing could have prepared him for what was inside.  Most Muggles would have been horrified at the sight.  Percy gasped as his eyes widened.

Sublevel Thirty was unlike anything Percy had set his eyes on, Muggle or otherwise.  It was a room filled with wiring.  There was a large contraption in the middle of the room.  All wires converged on it, joining to create large tubes.  It was white like a large egg.  More like a pod.  There was glass on the outside.

Inside was a naked girl suspended in liquid.  Her eyes were closed and her head was bald.  There was a mask over her mouth.  Percy shined his wand on her, careful not to look at her body.  He looked at her face.  He reached his hand out.

"Percy, do you read me?" came through Jason's voice with an edge of dread.  "The generator will kick on soon.  The fastest, shortest exit out of there with the least trouble is through the sewer pipes.  Or you could just Apparate out.  Did you find EVE?  Percy?  Do you read me?"

"Yes, I've found her."

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: I am bad at giving specific dates in stories.  I usually avoid doing so because I want the story to be read without dates in mind.  I normally put birthdays down because people like to look up zodiac signs and stuff like that. However, Percy's birthday is in the summer time.  According to GoF, just before the World Quidditch Cup, the Weasleys talked about Apparating.  Percy had only passed two weeks prior to it.  So, I'd estimate that his birthday is sometime in August.  I place him as a Leo.  This part of story takes place about two weeks before the first of September.  About the whole owls thing, a spell has been placed on agents of the Veritas that prevents regular owl post from reaching them unless they want to be found.  Too Matrix-like for anyone's tastes?  I don't plan on doing that.  It's just really a more anime like devise.  

kirikarin.livejournal.com

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.


	12. New Beginnings

Veritas

Part One: Dawning Along the Horizon

Chapter Eleven - New Beginnings

Percy stared at the girl in front of him. She could not be older than Jason. She did not have any hair on her head.  He could not understand what was going on.  He realized that the machines in the room were working.  How was that possible?  Did not Jason turn off the power?  The pod had its own power source.  Or rather, it was running under something else.  Percy did not know what it was.  All he knew was that he had to get the girl out of the pod.

"What do you mean you found her?" whispered Jason breathlessly on the line.  "What do you mean, Percy?"

"Never mind that right now.  Just be quiet," ordered Percy.  He looked at the pod, wondering how it could be still running.  He understood now why Jason said that EVE could work as fast a human brain.  Because she was human.  Percy pulled off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.  He looked around the pod.  There had to be a latch of some kind.  Something to open the pod.  The lights started to come on in succession again.  "_Alohomora_," whispered Percy, quenching the sense of panic within him.

The latch of the pod popped open, but the fluid from inside the chamber was flooding out.  Percy reached for the girl because she was still suspended inside.  He noticed that there was a cable attaching her to the machine.  It looked as if someone had drilled a hole into the back of her skull to do it.  Percy wondered if she was even alive.  After a moment, he noticed that she was breathing very faintly.  "…help…me…" she gasped.  "…help…me…"  She reached out her hand, which Percy instinctively took.  She grasped it tightly.  

"Percy, what's going on?  Who is that?" whispered Jason.  

"It's Eve," said Percy finally.  "She's not a computer at all.  She's a human being."  He could feel his stomach twist at the thought of what kind of human being was capable of doing this to another living creature.  "She's got a tube that's attached to the back of her skull.  Jason, can you figure out how I can get her out without killing her?"

There was a long pause.  "Jason?"

"I don't know," muttered Jason.  "I've never heard of anything like this before."

The girl stirred; her eyes opened.  In the dimness, Percy could see that her eyes were a very dark brown, almost doe-like.  "I'm here to help you," whispered Percy.

"I knew you would, Omega," said the girl.

"I have to figure out how to get you out though," said Percy.  "You wouldn't know how to take out the tubes, would you?"

She looked rather confused because she had just woken up.  "It's a plug.  There's part that can be twisted it off.  Turn it counterclockwise and pull it out.  It doesn't hurt me," she whispered.  "Please…we have to get out before they figure out what's happened.  Omega, please."

Percy reached up behind her head and twisted the plug; he withdrew it from her head.  "Can you move?" he asked in a harsh whisper.  She shook her head.  Percy supported her as he moved her down.  "_Accio_," he whispered, summoning his jacket to him.  He did not care that she was a Muggle.  He could just wipe away her memory later.  He wrapped the jacket around her.  "I'll carry you.  Jason, what's the way out of here?"

"The duct is that way.  On the right side of the room, next to the control panel.  It will lead to the sewer," said the girl in a quiet voice.  "I couldn't get out before.  They were around.  And they put me inside.  Please hurry."  Her voice was trembling.  Percy was carrying her in his arms.  He laid her down on her back and zipped up the front of his jacket to properly cover her.  He picked her up again quickly and draped her on his back.  Her arms dangling over his shoulders.  "It's easier this way," he said.  "We've got to go before they get down."  He could not risk making a portkey; not with the condition she was currently in.

"Percy, I can see the guards.  They're getting on the elevators.  They'll be down there before we know it," said Jason.  "There's also a group of them taking the stairs."

"Stall the ones in the lifts.  Can't you break into the security system and shut down the bloody things?  What kind of hacker are you?" hissed Percy as he moved towards the duct.  He was having a little trouble concentrating.  

"Give me a sec," muttered Jason.  

"Omega," whispered the girl softly; her voice was enough to focus Percy's attention.  "I knew you would come."  She had regained some strength in her arms.  She hung on tightly, comforting Percy's nerves.  He was now in front of the duct.  He had to get the screws out of the vent, but there was no time.  He took out his wand and concentrated.  Without saying a spell, the vent blasted open.  It was more than large enough to fit two people inside, even someone carrying another.  Percy walked inside.  He pointed his wand at the damage and whispered, "_Reparo_."  The vent was repaired, so it would appear that they did not go through it.  

"Okay, I've gone into the maintenance controls.  It's the other way to shut down the elevators just in case they're doing repairs," said Jason.  "By the way, the failure to the power grid is causing Muggle authorities to go into full force."

"Get out of the system and wipe everything clean," ordered Percy.  "We're in the sewer now.  There's only one direction to go.  We'll keep going until were a good mile or so away from the building.  Radio silence now."  He was about to yank the ear piece out of his ear, but the girl had grabbed it for him.  "Thanks," he told her.  She did not say anything.

Percy continued down the sewer.  It was surprisingly wide.  It did not smell very good, but he was too concerned with the girl to care.  He could hear her breathing steadily.  It was enough to keep him going.  She was the reason he was there, so she was the reason he needed to keep going.  Percy continued through the pipes.  He could see slots that showed the night sky above them.  

"I'm sorry about the smell," he muttered about half an hour later.  He felt her shake her head.  "It's all right.  It's the first time I've ever been outside…or out of there," she said.  Percy did not say anything about that, but gave it much thought.

Percy figured that she was a captive of the Fortress, but he did not know why.  Furthermore, he did not know what was going to happen to her after all this.  Was he really rescuing her?  He did not want to even think about what was going to happen to her.  He kept his mouth closed again.  He kept going and going until he felt that they were far enough out because they had reached the edge of a little lake.  

Percy blasted the passage over and sealed it just as they got through.  He was exhausted, perspiring, and reeking of the sewer.  This was not something he had signed up for when he joined the Veritas.  Of course, Percy knew he was not in the Veritas for the glamour of it.  He felt like his knees were going to give out, despite how light she was on his back.

"You're tired.  Just rest.  I can move on my own now.  I think," she told him quietly.  Percy set her down to the ground.  He collapsed next to her; he was not physical prepared for the endurance this required.  Percy was used to doing more magic.  He had the endurance for that.

Percy felt dirty and tired.  He wanted nothing more but a long, hot bath to sterilize himself.  He glanced at her.  She looked Eurasian in descent.  With Percy's jacket wrapped around her, she looked even smaller than before.  It was a big jacket, lined with many pockets.  She did not have anything else on.  

"How old are you?" asked Percy out loud.

"Sixteen," whispered the girl.  She was trying to keep herself covered up, but at the same time she looked curiously around her.  She forgot all decency when she touched the grass.  Percy looked away out of modesty for her.  "I've never been outside before.  The air is so different," she whispered.  She looked up at the sky.  "I have never seen the stars before, even though I learned about the constellations."

"Who are you?" asked Percy finally without looking at her.  

"They just call me Eve," whispered the girl.  "I don't really have a name."

"What are you, Eve?" whispered Percy as he leaned in closer to her face.  "Are you even human?"

"Barely," she whispered as she looked into his eyes.  They were painfully sad, but at the same time there was a spark of defiance in them.  

"How did you know where to find me?  Why me?" demanded Percy.

"Because," whispered Eve.  "Because…I don't know.  You were the one that I wanted to come and find me."  

Percy looked away again.  "We cannot stay here long just in case the people who were holding you are looking around.  We must go.  Climb on my back," he said crouching down.

"I think I can walk now," said Eve.

"No, I'll carry you.  It will be faster that way," said Percy.  Eve did not argue with him; she climbed onto his back, locking her arms in front.  Percy stood up and started to walk, but this time slower than before.  He had some distance between them and the Fortress.  He still had no idea how he was going to get out of there.  He had given Jason his cell phone, so he could not just call for a cab, and furthermore with the condition that Eve was in, he did not want anyone else seeing her just yet.

Besides, Percy had a feeling that he only wanted Veritas members to see her.  She was not as weak as before.  Perhaps, she was ready to travel via Portkey.  It dawned on Percy that he had broken numerous magical laws during the course of the evening.  He did not have the detector for magical energy signals on him, but he had a feeling that she was really a Muggle through and through.  He had practiced magic in front of her.  Eve had not questioned what he was doing, or even acted amazed.  If she was, she did not voice it.  Percy wanted to laugh out loud at that moment; in one night he had broken more rules than Fred and George could have ever imagined.

"Hang on," he said as he put her back down again.  Eve looked at him with curiosity.  "We have to get out of here faster and much further away from here."  He still had his gun strapped to him and a belt that had a holder for his wand.  He drew it out and took the ear piece and pointed his wand at it.  "_Portus_."  The ear piece started to tremble, glowing with a faint blue light, which was brighter because of the darkness.  The ear piece was still again and the light faded away.  Mentally adding another thing to his list of offenses, Percy sighed and relaxed a bit.  

"Okay, I know that you've never done this before, but we haven't got much of a choice," said Percy.  "Touch it," he instructed.  Eve reached out and grabbed the plug in part of the wire.  Percy held on to the ear piece itself and grabbed a hold of her hand.  "Okay, on the count of three.  One…two…three."

At the count of three, Percy felt the familiar pulling sensation that he felt whenever he used a Portkey.  He felt his middle being sucked in, which was the reason why Percy disliked traveling by Portkey.  He would normally close his eyes before the count was finished, but he kept his eyes open to look at Eve.  She looked terrified, but it was over quickly.

They were now back in the hotel.  Jason was not alone; he looked stricken as he stared at Percy.  Percy looked at what made Jason so worried; Percy felt like his stomach was still being sucked in.  Sidney Nelsen and Dennis Ahmed were standing in the room with grim looks on their faces.

Dennis was the first to break the awkward silence.  "Omega," his voice sounded strained, "are you going to just stand there, or are you going to explain yourself?"

Percy paled so badly that his freckles showed up even more so.  "I can explain this," he started.

"You sure as Hell better," said Sidney in a cold voice.  "You have seriously broken not only wizarding laws, but protocol as well.  But, you'd better explain it to Dennis.  Come with me."  The last part was addressed to Eve.  Her hand was still gripping Percy's tightly.  She looked at Percy for some reassurance.

"It's all right.  Go with her," said Percy gently as he pulled his hand away.  "Go on."

Sidney came up to her and placed her hand on her shoulder.  Sidney asked, "Jason, do you have any extra clothes?  That's all we've got right now."  She could have conjured something, but decided against it; she was not about to do any magic in front of Eve.  

"Yeah, she can borrow some of my clothes," said Jason.  He was the only one whose size was close enough.  He went to his suitcase and pulled out some clothes.  "Umm…is that the only piece of clothing you've got?" he asked Eve, referring to Percy's jacket, which was still zipped up.  It only came to her mid thigh.  She nodded.  "Oh," said Jason as his cheeks flushed.

Sidney walked with Eve to the bathroom.  There was the sound of running water for a while.  Percy opened his mouth to speak, but Dennis held up his hand to keep him quiet.  Sidney came out of the bathroom and firmly shut the door behind her.  "Well, what did you find out?" she asked immediately.

"I decided to wait for you," said Dennis as he turned his attention back to Percy.  "Jason has told us what happened from his end."

"What are you two doing here?"  Percy decided to risk asking.  

"We came here because it was an emergency.  It was decided a little too late to come over here.  Did you know that the security breach was contained?  After we couldn't reach you, we had to come here," said Sidney.  "You should have gotten a room with a fireplace."

"It would have been easy to trace us if we put an unauthorized part of the Floo Powered Network," said Dennis calmly.  "Anyway with the lock down, we couldn't reach anyone else.  However, the concern was the unauthorized mission you decided to go on, Omega."

Percy sighed.  He looked back and forth between Sidney and Dennis.  He was less experienced than they were.  Not only did he get himself into trouble, but he had dragged Jason down with him.  Percy assumed his usual stoic expression as he looked at them again.

It was easier to explain what had happened, so Percy did just that.  He did so without interruption.  Dennis sat down calmly while Sidney paced around the room.  When Percy had finished, his exhaustion caught up with him again and he sat down on his bed, not caring that his clothes were a mess.

"What happens now?" asked Percy.

"This is the first time that anything like this has ever happened," responded Dennis thoughtfully.  "We've got a strange situation on our hands."

"We could just alter her memory and be done with it," said Sidney.  "But, she's definitely in danger from those people.  We can't in good conscious do that."

"No," disagreed Jason, joining in.  "You can't.  Not after what I found out about Project Oracle."

"What?" asked Percy.  Jason straightened up.  "I thought I told you to get out of the system."

"They told me to get back in," said Jason as he jerked his thumb at Sidney and Dennis.  Percy glanced at them.  "Project Oracle is EVE.  That's the name of the project.  It's secret, highly illegal, and potentially dangerous.  She was created by the Muggles.  She's really a person, but she was created by using Muggle techniques.  You know all you need to make a human being are just two specialized cells."

Percy was not as well versed in Biology as Sidney and Dennis were, but he went along with their silence because they seemed to understand what was going on.  He could just look up the information later.  "Eve does not have any parents.  No family.  The information on that was never recorded.  She has no past.  They were using her as a way of predicting probability.  On top of that, she was used to design scenarios for them, including things like assassinations and terrorist attacks.  She is a genius with unprecedented abilities."

Dennis and Sidney glanced at each other.  "She was the one who broke into our system, so that someone would get her out.  But, why Percy?" asked Sidney.

"No idea.  You'll have to ask her yourself," replied Jason with a shrug.

Dennis glanced at Percy.  "Do you have any idea?" he asked.

"No, I really don't, Asmodeus," said Percy.

Sidney walked back to the bathroom door and knocked on it.  "May I come in?" she asked as she pressed her ear against the door.  She opened the door after a response.  She walked into the bathroom.  

"What are we going to do with her?" asked Percy quietly.  "What will happen to her?"

"That will be for Alpha to decide," answered Dennis with a sigh.  "By the way, Happy Birthday."

Percy looked at him with mild surprise.

Much later, after everyone was cleaned up and fed, Percy had to start packing up to leave.  The hotel knew about Jason, but the staff most certainly did know about Sidney, Dennis, and Eve.  It was decided that they would go back to England via Portkey.  Percy and Jason would checkout of the hotel and go back to England a little later also by Portkey.

Either way, they had to keep their eyes and ears open for any news.  There was loads of news about the power outage and reports about the break in at the Fortress, but the Muggle authorities were having no luck.  The Fortress had reported that nothing was stolen, but that was a lie.  They were not about to report Eve as stolen property.  No doubt they would go looking for her by themselves.  Percy was not worried though.  He doubted that they could find the Veritas.  

"So, today's your birthday?" asked Jason out loud once they outside the hotel.

"Yeah," said Percy.  "I kind of forgot.  I didn't really celebrate last year."

"You're no longer a teenager then, are you?" quipped Jason with a grin.  "I guess this isn't exactly what you'd be doing for your birthday, if you were here."

"I don't know.  It's only a day," said Percy with a shrug.  He did not want to think about what his family was doing back home in his absence.  He doubted that his mother regarded his birthday with the same callousness.  "This is more important anyway."

"What will happen to me?"

"I already told you, Jason."

"That was before what happened last night."

"You're not the one in trouble.  I am.  Alpha is going to have my hide for this one."

"So, he's the head?"

"Yes.  Everything will be fine for you.  You were only following my orders, and you're not even a full member yet, so it's me who'll take responsibility for everything."

It was not enough to relieve Jason.  He felt a little guilty about the whole thing.  He did not want Percy to get into any trouble.  He did not think it was fair because Percy was doing the right thing, no matter how wrong it seemed.  "Tell me about your old school," said Jason quietly, wanting to change topics.  "Since I'll probably be going there anyway.  How are the teachers like?  Is it hard there?  What about the other students?"

Percy smiled and glanced at him.  "I'll tell you all about it once we get back to England."  They had reached the alleyway that Percy had apparated in when he first came to New York.  He took out his wand and made a Portkey out of the newspaper they had bought earlier to check out what was going on.  "Okay, on three.  One…two…three."

Percy and Jason found themselves in the head offices of the Veritas that were located in London.  He was looking at the people at the table.  Sidney and Dennis were next to each other at one end with Eve.  It was already afternoon in England.  Hardly anyone had gotten any sleep in the past twenty-four hours.  Percy had only slept for about three hours, but he was careful to hide his tiredness.  At the head of the table was Lord Prometheus Wallace.  He was regarding Percy with a calm gaze, which did nothing to ease Percy's nerves.

"Asmodeus and Aura have explained the situation, Omega," said Lord Wallace calmly.  "Your actions were rash, reckless, and foolish."

Percy tried not to wince at each word.  He looked straight into Lord Wallace's eyes, ignoring everyone else in the room.  He had to hold his tongue; he could not interrupt Lord Wallace, if he had any hope of properly defending himself.  Lord Wallace's voice did not sound very harsh nor angry.  On the contrary, he sounded as kind and compassionate as ever, amplifying Percy's guilty.

"Furthermore, your actions could have led to the exposure of our cause," continued Lord Wallace.  "However, they have proven to be very useful.  Miss Eve will remain under the protection of the Veritas.  You have successfully recruited Mister Quinn.  I am going to show some mercy to you for today.  However, you will be suspended from doing anymore missions, save the ones that you are currently on.  Is that understood?"

Percy jerked his head in a nod.  He was not happy with the decision that was made.  "Very well.  Go to your parents for the rest of the day," said Lord Wallace.  "You are dismissed. Now."

Percy nodded again.  He thought that the order to go to his parents was an odd one, but he was not about to question any of Lord Wallace's orders.  No, he was just lucky enough to get away with what he had done.  He Apparated first to his flat to take a hot shower, and change into his usual wizarding clothes.  He put on his glasses just before going to the Burrow.

What Percy did not see was the look on Lord Wallace's face when he Disapparated.  Lord Wallace had the smallest of smiles on his face for a moment before turning his attention back to the business at hand.

Percy had Apparated just outside the house before walking through the front door.  His mother had already hurried into the living room because the clock said he would be home.  "Percy!  Where have you been?" she asked as she hugged him.  "We were looking for you."

"I was working, Mother," answered Percy, not really a lie.  She would not have been able to guess exactly what he was working on.  His body felt tired from the lack of sleep.  It was really all he wanted to do.

"I know that, but you really should have taken the day off," said Molly.  "It's your birthday after all."

"Some things are more important," said Percy soothing.

"There you are, Percy," said his father as he entered the room.  "Happy Birthday, son."

"Thank you, Father," said Percy.  "Do mind if I sit down?  I'm very tired."  His voice came out ragged.  His parents looked at him anxiously.  Molly guided him to a chair.  

"You looked like you haven't slept in a day," observed Molly.  "You should just sleep."

"It's all right," said Percy, wanting nothing more but to do exactly what she was suggesting.  He was reluctant to show how tired he was.  

The others came in and stopped.  "Hey, Percy!" exclaimed Charlie with a little surprise.  "I was wondering when you'd get here."

"I sort of forgot what the day was," replied Percy.  "I was very busy with work."

"All work and no play," said Bill with a grin.  "But you looked bushed."

_Yeah, you'd look bushed, too, if you had to break into a building, steal girl, carry her on your back most of the way, and walk through a sewer pipe to get out.  And before that think that the cause you worked for was over because of a security breach.  Furthermore, without getting sleep, except for three short hours._  Percy thought as he stared at the lot of them.  Harry and Hermione were also watching him.  

"Yes, I am," admitted Percy.  "Not too much though."

"How could you forget your own birthday?" asked Fred.  "You were the same person who sent invitations around the house when you were younger."

Percy shrugged, not really wanting to remember such memories.  "Time flies when you're doing paperwork."

"You need to loosen up more.  You're more overworked than Hermione in the school year," Ron with a laugh.

"I am not!" exclaimed Hermione.  

The rest of the day went by quickly, even though Percy was too tired to feel anything.  His family enjoyed having him there for his birthday, but he soon realized that that it was not the exhaustion of the day that prevented him from enjoying himself what it really was.

Over the next couple of days, everything was set in order by the Veritas.  The Order of the Phoenix maintained their normal activities without knowing that they had a spy in their midst.  The Veritas had other plans, which involved the new recruit and the girl.  The Death Eaters were getting bolder as well, so the Aurors had their hands full.

Jason Quinn was given the codename "Loki" after the Norse god of mischief.  He had undergone the usually battery of tests that all Veritas agents were required to undergo.  He had come through with flying colors.  There was still a lot of work that needed to be done.  Jason still had to learn how to do the special brand of magic that the Veritas field agents used, Muggle martial arts, and he still had not finished his training in normal wizardary.  Needless to say, there was still a lot of work to be done before Jason could enter the field.

Eve, who had no last name because she was never give one, was now under the protection of the Veritas.  They kept her under wraps and protected.  She agreed to undergo physical examinations, which came out clean.  She was also given a battery of tests to gauge her mental abilities.  She was a genius by human standards, both Muggle and wizard.

The main problem with Eve was trying to figure out what to do with her.  She had refused to speak to anyone, but Percy.  He had to come in on several occasions to help.  Eve wanted to help the Veritas, but it was decided that she be allowed to have a normal life.  

Eve's past was not normal by any means.  She was created by the people at the Fortress.  They never treated her like a human being; she was bred to be a genius.  They exploited her.  One day, Eve had decided not to do what they had demanded; so in order to teach her a lesson, the chamber had been built.  They operated on her so that they could put her into the chamber.  The scientists started to leave her inside the chamber for longer and longer stretches without any regard to her humanity.  

Eventually, she was connected to the internet.  Eve spent her time searching for a way out.  She estimated which organization would help her the most.  When she had hacked into the Veritas network, which was entirely by chance, she had learned about the wizarding world.  But the Veritas valued all human life.  Eve had hoped to find someone within the Veritas who could get her out.  She had waited for months looking for the right person.  Eve found out about Percy because he had stood out of all the agents.  He was the youngest field agent and he came from a large family.  Eve thought it was fate that he rescue her because he was sent to New York on that recruitment mission.

Percy went to almost all the sessions that they had with Eve.  She seemed normal to him; but she refused to speak to anyone else.  She would only speak to them knowing that Percy was there.  Percy found himself playing big brother to both her and Jason.  A role he did not expect to take on when he first entered the Veritas, but he did not mind it so much.

Jason had to have an official guardian appointed, so Dennis Ahmed was labeled for Hogwarts' records.  The Veritas was very careful not to make any obvious connections to Percy because of his connections to the Order.  Jason was not given any specific instructions on what to do while he was in Hogwarts other than finish N.E.W.T. level in a list of subjects.  He was not exactly told to spy on anyone.  Percy did tell him about the students he could remember, most of whom were Gryffindor.  He even told Jason about Dumbledore's Army, which sparked Jason's interest.  Too bad, Jason could not use his connection with Percy to get in.

Everything settled down.  Percy was functioning like normal because of the suspension.  He was only spying on the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix.  He submitted his reports without fail and kept up his good behavior, and he was going mad with boredom in the process.  Whatever Percy was feeling, he did not voice it.  He was becoming very good at suppressing his emotions.

When September 1st rolled around, Percy was well entrenched with his family.  They were slowly trusting him again; something that caused him endless guilt.  He had gone to King's Cross that day along with the rest of his family to see the students off to school, which included Jason.  Percy had warned Dennis about Bill remembering him all too clearly, so Dennis could not join Jason at the station.  Percy could not be too obvious about helping him, but he was going to.

Percy arrived at the station a little later than everyone else with the purpose of helping Jason, and getting him a chance to get to know Ron ahead of time.  If there was any hope of Jason blending in, then he would have to get to know someone quickly.  Jason did not say that he was grateful to Percy for it; but Percy was aware of it.

The Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were at the station with the extra guards.  Little did they know about the extra Veritas guards that were around.  Percy unofficially acted as a guard.  He had spotted Jason entering the station just after he had.

Jason had been given orders to change his appearance.  He had altered his appearance accordingly.  He knew that Dennis was half British, so Jason assumed the features of Dennis' mother's side.  He had changed his hair into dirty blond spikes and made his eyes deep blue.  He even had freckles on his nose and made his nose a bit wider.  His lips were about the same as before though, but Percy almost did not recognize him.  

"Excuse me," asked Jason as he walked up to Percy.  "I just moved here from America.  Is this the train to school?"

Percy went with the feeling he had when he had first seen him; he pretended not to recognize him.  "Yes, it is.  Do you need some help?" he asked.  Jason nodded.  "I know some people who could help you.  This way."  Percy led him up to the others.

"Good morning everyone," said Percy pleasantly.  "Actually, this…is…wait, I didn't catch your name?"

Jason shook his head.  "You didn't ask.  My name is Jason Quinn.  I'm new.  I just move to Europe and transferred to Hogwarts."

"Yes, Jason.  This is my brother, Ron.  He's a prefect, and so is Hermione Granger.  This is Harry Potter.  And my sister, Ginny," said Percy.

Jason looked at Harry for a moment, but quickly stopped because Percy had warned him about not doing that.  Percy knew that Harry was uncomfortable about being stared at.  Jason did not do the typical "You-are-Harry-Potter-aren't-you?" question.  Jason held out his hand and shook hands with them.  

"Nice to meet you," said Hermione as she smiled.  "We're prefects, so we can help you."

"Thanks," said Jason with a smile.  "It's strange to go away for school like this.  I've never done it before."

"You mean that they do things differently in America?" asked Ginny.  She thought that he was rather cute.  Jason nodded.  He turned for a moment to look at Percy.  "I didn't get your name either."

"Oh, my name is Percy Weasley.  These are the other members of my family.  My parents, Arthur and Molly.  My brothers Bill, Charlie, Fred and George," said Percy as he introduced the rest of his family.  Jason was surprised because Percy had not said anything about his family.  Percy did not bother with the rest of the members of the Order who were there.  Besides, Moody and the others sort of moved away during that time.  "Well, good luck everyone," he added.

Molly kissed her children goodbye along with giving hugs and kisses to Harry and Hermione.  She turned to Jason and said to him just before they boarded the train, "Don't worry, Jason.  It's not so bad."

"Last year was worse," said Ron.  Jason looked visibly nervous; he almost turned to Percy for reassurance.  "Don't worry about it.  We'll help you out."

"Thanks," said Jason as he climbed on with Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny.

"Stay with Harry and me.  Ron and Hermione have to go see the other prefects," said Ginny.

"We'll join you later," said Hermione as she and Ron went down to another compartment.

The Hogwarts Express started its engine and took off.  The families stayed until it was out of sight.  It was the first time that Percy had ever seen the train leave without him, even before when Bill and Charlie were attending Hogwarts.  It was an odd feeling.  He shook himself back to reality when he saw the shadows move.  The other Veritas agents were using spells to hide in the shadows.  It was perfect in the station where there was limited sunlight.  It was enough to remind Percy of where and when he was.

"Time to go to work," announced Percy as he looked at the others.  They all went their separate ways.  Percy and his father went towards the Ministry of Magic with Tonks and Kingsley.  Remus and Molly went back to Headquarters to handle some business there.  Bill went to the bank, while Charlie left for the dragon preserve.  All the other agents went their way.

Percy thought how deceptive it was.  He was going his own way.  Was it the right way?  Or was he headed down a path that was going to ultimately destroy him?  Only time could tell.

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: This ends the first part of the story.  This part introduces all the main players that will show up later on.  This part was to show how Percy's life is going.  He is in the middle of the crossroad.  What will he do next?

Anyway, school is once again kicking my pathetic behind.  The poetry and American Literature class is getting in the way of my fanfiction time.  Don't worry, I'll still post much more frequently than I did last term.  

kirikarin.livejournal.com

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.  


	13. Shadows

Veritas

Part Two: When I'm Gone

Chapter Twelve – Shadows

A man paced back and forth in the cold of London.  Winter had arrived in full force.  He was ordered to wait in the bitter cold for his contact.  This person was due to arrive at anytime.  He really wished that the contact was not so vague.  His left hand felt almost numb, while his right was just fine.  His right hand was not normal at all.  It did not feel the cold at all.  It moved with his thoughts, but felt nothing.

He kept his hood on because his head was bald.  He fretted as he looked around.  He was thankful to be alive.  He was barely alive day to day; he was constantly afraid of getting killed by his associates.  This could have been a trap. It would not be the time that someone was asked to wait in a dark alley somewhere only be murdered by an associate.

"Excuse me for keeping you waiting," said a soft voice from the shadows.

"Where are you?" he demanded, his voice trembling.

"You do not need to know that," said the voice. "Are you Wormtail?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Show me."

Wormtail pulled down the sleeve of his robes to show his Dark Mark. 

"Good.  I have some information for your master," said the voice.

"What kind of information do you have?" asked Wormtail.

"Veritas," said the voice.  "I have information about the Veritas."

Wormtail had no idea what the voice was talking about.  The Dark Lord had given him orders to bring back whatever information the contact had.  Wormtail thought that this was information about the Order of the Phoenix.  He was afraid of disappointing the Dark Lord.  

"What is that?" squeaked Wormtail.  "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Your master will.  Just listen to me," said the voice.

The Ministry of Magic was once again lulled into a false sense of security due to the lack of activity of the Death Eaters.  The Aurors were working full force hunting for Death Eaters, but there was little evidence of their activities.  Minister Fudge was once again self-confident, and so was the majority of the Ministry with him.  Only a hand full of people disagreed with Fudge.  He said that they were inciting needless panic.

Percy was the person who heard and saw all this first hand.  He was also one of the few people who disagreed with Fudge, but not openly.  Percy was still just spying on the Ministry and the Order, but there was little to report.  The lack of activity from both groups made Percy very uneasy as he always expressed in his reports.  To top it off, Percy was getting extremely restless and tired of doing nothing but paperwork.  He found it more and more difficult to stifle himself around Fudge.

Percy found himself looking forward to more and more meetings with the Order.  There he felt more like himself, even though he was still lying to them.  Moody was suspicious of him, but then again Moody was suspicious of everyone.  Percy had limited contact with the other members of the Veritas, except for Jason.

Jason sent him owls from Hogwarts.  He told Percy about how well he had adjusted.  He was placed into Gryffindor.  He was getting along well with the other students; he had made friends with Neville Longbottom.  Neville had invited him to one of the D.A. meetings, which Jason found to be very enlightening.  He wrote about the meetings and quickly labeled them "The Junior Order of the Phoenix Club."  Percy did not write back that often because it was not wise, not with Jason staying in the same room as Ron.

Ron and Ginny were writing him more often than they had done last year.  Percy figured they were doing it out of courtesy, but he responded to their letters carefully.  He knew that they were eager for any information on the Order, but Percy never said much.  He kept them at bay by discussing other things.  

During the weekends, Percy was spending more time with Bill and Charlie.  They were inviting him to various things such as Quidditch games and eating out.  Fred and George were still reluctant to spend any time with him, but they did meet with Percy occasionally.  Their parents also had them come to the Burrow at least once a week for a meal.  Sometimes Percy declined, wanting to keep in touch with the Muggle world.  To him, the Muggle world was a place where he could feel free.

Percy wanted to contact Sidney again, but from what he could feel from her messages, it was not a good idea.  He thought about her and Bill.  Both of them living their lives as if the other never existed.  Bill talked about Fleur even less than he did before.  Perhaps, it was Percy's unwillingness to hear anything about her; he did bother to hide his feelings of dislike towards her.  Bill just sensed it.

One could only have guessed how surprised Percy was when he received a call one evening from Sidney Nelsen.  He was at home reading a book and having a cup of tea, when she called his cell phone.  Percy stood up and answered it.  "Hello?"

"It's me."

"What is it?"

"I need to see you."

"What for?"

"Stop asking questions."

Percy sighed.  "Just one more question: why?" he asked.  He could almost imagine her smiling.  "I'll text message you the address and the time," she answered and promptly hung up.  Percy looked at the LCD screen on his phone to see the address.  He had no idea what it meant, so he shrugged and decided to look up the place instead.  

He found out that it was a nightclub in London called the Ministry of Sound.  It was a large club in London.  It was a dance club.  A Muggle dance club.  Percy had never seen Muggle nightlife in London; let alone something that Muggles his age went to.  So, he had to figure out what to wear.  

Percy went through his walk-in closet, carefully picking out clothes.  He had to have a walkthrough to hide his wizarding things.  He had used a portion of the wall for it.  It could only be opened with magic.  He did not even go to that part of the closet.  He searched until he found a pair of black jeans and a light blue shirt.  He changed clothes in the closet.  He looked around for a pair of socks and shoes and left the closet after putting them on.  He grabbed his brown leather jacket on the way out.  

Percy looked for his watch.  He hoped that he looked all right.  The wizards did not have clubs like the Muggles did.  He did not have a car, but he glanced at his watch.  He had been only given a half hour to get there.  Percy shrugged and grabbed his wand.  He Apparated to the club. 

After placing his wand in his jacket pocket he walked up.  There was a line of people waiting to get in, but there was a man gesturing for Percy to come up.  He went up to him.  "You Omega?" asked the man.  Percy nodded.  "Cool.  I thought you'd never make it.  This way, mate.  You've got a ticket inside."

Percy followed him.  "Just walk around, mate.  You'll see what you want soon enough," said the man as he left Percy.

The music in the club was thumping through speakers as the lights in the club swirled around.  The atmosphere was unlike anything Percy had ever experienced.  It was like coming out of sensory deprivation.  His senses were blasted by the activity around him.  He stumbled over to the bar, which had neon lights.  Percy sat down, placing his feet on the railing that ran underneath.  The bartender was a woman, dress in the punk style that some of the young people in London liked.  Her style was akin to Gizmo's, but not quite.  

"What can I get for you, love?" asked the bartender; her voice was husky and her words seemed drawn out.  

"What do you recommend?" asked Percy.

The bartender smiled.  "You look like the sophisticated type, so I recommend a French 45."

"What's that?" he inquired as she set a glass on the table.  He watched her make a drink that had French champagne and blue orange liqueur in it, along with other things in bottles that he could not read fast enough.  She shook it up.  The bartender finished it off by putting a martini glass on the bar that contained some ice and a lemon twist along the rim.  She poured the blue potent potable into the glass.  "That's what it is, love," said the bartender, flashing him a smile.

Percy reached for his wallet to pay for it, but she shook her head.  "That won't be necessary," she said.  "I know who you are."  With that, she walked off to the other side of the bar.  Percy suspected that she was a member of the Veritas network.  He smelled his drink a bit before taking a sip of it.  It had a bit of a kick, but it tasted great.  He had no idea that blue liqueur had an orange flavor to it; it was pretty wild to him.

The disc jockey at the turn tables up front called everyone's attention to him.  He was dressed in sporty Muggle clothes.  He wore sunglass, even though they were indoors.  That was most puzzling to Percy.  

"Let's get this party started!" shouted the DJ.  "I want to see some bumpin' and thumpin'!"  He spun something on the turn tables.  There was a pause before the music started blaring through all the speakers, louder than it had been before.  Percy turned his attention back to his drink.

From across the room, Sidney Nelsen had watched him for a bit of time before deciding to approach him.  She walked up to him when the houselights dimmed again and the strobe lights started.  She was dressed in a red halter top that left her back bare.  She wore a skirt that tapered over her knees and a pair of open toed sandals with heels that carried her towards him.  Her reddish-brown hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, swinging back and forth to the rhythm of her gait.  

"Been waiting a while?" she asked.

Percy looked up at her.  Her appearance stunned him for a moment.  Sidney's voice sounded much more sultry than usually.  It might be the music, the lights, or something else interfering with Percy's senses.  He collected himself once again.  

"What did you call me here for?" he demanded after clearing his throat.

"Always straight to business, aren't we?" she asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.  "Dance with me."  Before Percy could refuse, Sidney had pulled him to the dance floor, abandoning his drink.  The beat of the music seemed to cast a spell over the people on the floor.  Percy was moving rather stiffly.

"You need to relax more," said Sidney teasingly.  "All work and no play…"

"I've heard that numerous times.  I really wish people would come up with more original quips," said Percy in a bored tone.  "Are you ever going to tell me why I'm here?"

Sidney started to sway her hips along with the beat.  She was still holding Percy's hands in hers.  She guided them to her waist, but ended up resting them on her hips.  Percy was barely moving his feet.  He looked around, noticing the strange, almost erotic movements that the Muggles were performing.  Had they no decency?  Percy felt his cheeks grow hot.

For her part, Sidney was noticing how just how handsome Percy was.  His features were softer than Bill's.  She slid her hands up his back, feeling how tense he was.  He was always on alert, ready for almost anything.  Her hands were now up his shoulder blades, but he did not seem to mind.  Sidney was not feeling any sort of real attraction to Percy.  Her hands were now at the nape of his neck.  She could feel the softness of his hair.  It jolted her; it was the same consistency as Bill's hair.  In fact, Percy's hair was almost styled the same way that Bill's once was.  Back in the time that Sidney knew him.  

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.  His voice was slightly deeper than Bill's.  Sidney looked up at him, wondering if she could stop comparing Percy to Bill.  Or Bill to Percy.  She wanted to be held, but not by Percy.  "What's wrong?"

_What's wrong?_  A familiar voice echoed through her head once again.  Percy's voice sounded too familiar to her.

Sidney looked up at him; the pain must have been blatant on her face.  Percy was mystified by the look on her face.  He had only asked her a question.  She leaned into his ear.  She was tall enough with her heels.  "The chip that fits into one of your cards is in my mouth.  I'll pass it to you," she whispered, getting down to business.

"How will you do that?" asked Percy.  "Is it damaged?"

"No.  It's waterproof.  It'll get you to another section right in the Muggle Ministry.  The access is only given to certain agents," whispered Sidney.  She turned her attention to his face directly.  Her hands were still at his neck.  Percy was staring straight into her eye; he was amazed at the strange coloring, marveling at them.  Why hadn't he noticed—

Percy's train of thought was disrupted as Sidney pressed her lips against his, sending tingles down through him.  They were soft like rose petals.  Percy was lost for a moment before he realized that he had to open his mouth.  That was the only way for Sidney to transfer the chip over to him.  Percy opened his mouth, deepening the kiss.  In less than a moment, it was over.

Percy could feel the chip was is his mouth; he moved it to one of his cheeks.  It was tiny like a raw kernel of popcorn.  Percy was surprised at how calm Sidney looked as she pulled away from him.  She walked away without a word.  Pale like a ghost.

Percy was not used to being stunned by a single person in less than fifteen minutes.  He looked around him to notice that some girls were headed towards him.  He had to get out of there.  He walked to the men's room before the girls could get to him.  He stared at the mirror.

His cheeks were slightly red.  Someone came out of the stalls.  "Having a good night, mate?" he asked when he saw Percy standing at the sink.  

"Yes," answered Percy.  

"You look like you've had too many," said the guy before leaving the men's room.  Percy turned on the sink and splashed his face with a little cold water.  He wiped his face dry with a rough paper towel before going into one of the stalls and Apparating home.

Upon his arrival, Percy immediately spit out the chip into the palm of his hand.  He stared at it, not knowing that there was special coating on it to protect it.  He pulled out handkerchief that was in his jacket pocket and carefully dried the chip.  He placed it on his dining room table.  Percy reached for his wallet to search for the card that Sidney had been talking about.  It was a credit card that had an odd indentation.  To the untrained eye, it would look like the card just had a dent in it.

Percy found it and placed the chip inside.  It fit perfectly.  He placed it back into his wallet.  His head was still ringing from the music.  He walked to his room and took off his clothes before talking a shower. 

As the water pounded his shoulders, he thought about the strangeness of the evening.  He did not feel much.  He was starting to not feel anything.  Even a kiss from a beautiful woman had no effect on him.  In his mind, images of Sidney flashed.  Percy realized how sad she must have been.  

He did not know much about Sidney's private life outside of the Veritas.  Percy turned off the water after a half an hour.  He went to his closet with a towel tied loosely around his waist.  He found a pair of boxers and put them on.  He put on just a pair of pajama bottoms, but did not bother with a top.  After much thought, he went to his laptop and turned it on.

He immediately logged onto the Veritas network.  He found that he had an e-mail from Sidney waiting for him and another from Eve.  Percy looked at Eve's e-mail first because he already had a vague idea of what Sidney had sent him.

It had been a while since Percy had seen Eve face to face.  She was currently living in London in one of the safe houses of the Veritas.  Percy did not get a chance to see her all that often because he had to continue working most of the time.

_Percy,_

_I was wondering how you were doing.  I'm fine.  I haven't heard from you in a while, but Jason has been writing all the time.  I know that you're not really free to meet anyone these days, but I would like it very much if you would e-mail me from time to time.  _

**_Eve_**

Percy was slightly uncomfortable around Eve.  She considered him her savior, her hero.  He did not think of himself that way.  To Percy, it was part of his job.  It was not that he was being modest or humble.  The work of the Veritas had to be done in secret, so there was no room for bragging or showing off.

In the Muggle and wizarding world, there were certain things that happened that no one could figure out.  These incidents that happened all over the world, even outside of England, were unexplainable.  These were the markers of the Veritas.  They slipped in and got out with no one being the wiser.  

The Veritas was not acknowledged nor thanked for their work.  It was important to maintain their secrecy otherwise their work could not be done.  They worked outside of most of the rules, operating on their own protocol.  It was something that hardly anyone in the Veritas questioned.  They only questioned it when they needed to get around the laws and rules of other organizations.  They considered themselves above such common laws because there was no other organization like the Veritas in the world. 

At first, Percy found breaking rules of the Ministry Magic very difficult.  He had lived by the rules most his life before entering the Veritas.  However, he had learned very quickly just how people manipulated the rules for their gain.  Percy had seen for himself how Minister Fudge got around the rules.

Percy knew for a fact that Fudge had taken bribes from the Malfoy family in the form of "charitable contributions."  Percy also knew that Fudge was a closet bigot when it came to the Muggle borns, half-bloods, Muggles, and anyone who sympathized with them.  Much to Percy's disgust, it did not take long for him to realize it.  Percy slumped in his chair just thinking about it.

_Percy couldn't believe his luck.  He thought that he was in deep trouble because of Crouch.  He had faced an inquiry at work, which made him realize how foolish he must have been.  Crouch had proven to be a liar.  Percy felt a sharp stab of betrayal; he had believed in Crouch and admired him.  Percy was sure that he was going to be sacked._

_That did not happen.  To Percy's utter surprise, he was promoted to junior assistant to the Minister of Magic.  He could hardly contain his excitement.  He could not wait until he went home to tell his parents the wonderful news.  Minister Fudge said that he did not think what happened with Crouch could be helped.  So, the Minister stood up for him and gave him a promotion to prove his faith in Percy.  At least, that's what Fudge told Percy._

_Percy went home to tell his parents the news.  As soon as he finished, his father and mother glanced at each other.  His father's lips were in a thin line, while his mother looked slightly pale.  Percy did not pay attention to any of these signs, rather he ignored them.  He was not prepared for what happened next.  _

_"Percy, I don't think you should take the job," said Arthur after a long pause._

_Percy was flabbergasted.  "What do you mean I shouldn't take the job?  This is great.  It's a wonderful opportunity.  I would have to be crazy not to take the job.  It's too good to pass up.  Why should I pass it up?"_

_"Because Fudge only wants you there so that he can spy on us," stated Arthur calmly.  "He wants to know what Dumbledore is doing.  Fudge wants to know what's going on, and that is the only reason why I haven't lost my job yet.  Fudge only wants you in his office because he thinks he can cleverly glean information from you, Percy."_

_Percy's jaw dropped.  "That's not true.  Minister Fudge does not want to spy on you.  Why would he want to spy on you?  He already knows about you and your Muggle obsession."  Percy's tone was bitter._

_"Percy, don't talk about your father that way!" exclaimed Molly.  She noticed how Percy's and Arthur's ears were getting redder by the minute.  "Why don't we sit down and talk this over calmly?"_

_It was too late for that.  "Is there something you want to tell me?" asked Arthur._

_Percy never said it out loud, but people always talked to him about how odd his family was.  The other Ministry employees could hardly believe that Percy was Arthur's son, except for the resemblance.  Once they found out that Percy was different from his father, the other employees were quick to ask questions about Arthur's unusual hobbies.  Percy had to listen to all of it.  At first, he tried to say that his father's hobbies were harmless, but he soon realized just how close minded people were.  _

_Percy was blinded by the Minister; he had been given a chance to rise above his family's station in life.  He was not about to throw that chance away.  So, in a voice, that Percy would not be able to recognize as his own much later, he retorted, "Because of you, I have found it very difficult to get anywhere in the Ministry.  Your reputation somehow got attached to mine.  As a result, I have to keep reminding people that I am not you.  They think that I think the same way you do."  Percy avoided spending time with his father at work, even having a meal with him would set Percy's efforts back._

_"I've had to claw my way upwards and rise above your reputation.  There's plenty of room for advancement.  You just don't have the ambition to go for it.  You could have thought of us, too, you know.  You could have tried to go forward, but no, you had to think about yourself and your hobbies," went on Percy._

_"What do you mean by that?!" demanded Arthur, his voice getting louder with each word.  Molly had paled over.  Arthur rarely lost his temper right out, and when he did, he really lost it._

_"You know exactly what I'm talking about.  You're the reason why we don't have any money!" bellowed Percy.  "You're always following the wrong thing, too!  Dumbledore is wrong!  He is not back!  You're an idiot for following him.  Dumbledore's going to go down, and you'll be dragged down along with the rest of us!"_

_"Percy, you don't understand.  You-Know-Who is back," said Molly immediately as she glanced fearfully at her husband.  "I was there.  I saw for myself what happened."_

_"All you saw, Mother, was Harry Potter coming out of that maze with Cedric Diggory's body.  And we're supposed to take his word for it?  How do we know that Harry Potter didn't do something?" said Percy.  "You believe what Father and Dumbledore believe."_

_"Yes, I do," said Molly as she looked straight at him.  _

_"It's you who doesn't understand!  I will not be called an idiot in my own house!" flared Arthur.  His face was red and livid.  "I have done everything for this family!  I am your father and I will be respected!  I worked hard to put clothes on your back and food on the table!"_

_"Fine," said Percy as he looked away from her and back at his father.  "I see how it is.  I guess I have no choice."  _

_"What are you going to do?" demanded Arthur in a loud voice.  _

_By that time, the other children had heard part of the argument.  They had congregated just outside the kitchen, hearing each word without any trouble.  Fred and George's eyes were wide.  Their father had never raised his voice like that before, not even when Fred and George had gotten their O.W.L. results back.  Ron and Ginny looked fearfully at each other.  _

_"If you and Mother are going to betray the Ministry and follow Dumbledore, then I have no choice, but to leave.  I'm going to make sure that everyone knows I'm not one of you.  You're traitors to the Ministry.  I am not," said Percy in deathly calm as he turned on his heel and left the once warm kitchen._

_He did not even look at his brothers and sister as he marched up to his room.  It was not over yet.  Arthur had marched into the living room with Molly trying to stop him.  "If you don't want to be a member of this family, then just leave!" shouted Arthur, causing the others to flinch.  "I do think of this family, even more so than you do.  I am not a fool.  You will soon realize that I was right.  That your mother and I are right.  You are no longer welcomed in this house!" _

_"Arthur!" cried Molly.  "Please, just try—"_

_"He has gone too far, Molly!  Let him leave!" shouted Arthur._

_It took less than fifteen minutes for Percy to pack up all his things and come back down.  He did not care where he was going.  His mother was in tears when she saw him come back down with his things packed up into his trunk.  _

_"Percy, please don't go," pleaded Molly.  "You don't have to go.  Just listen."_

_"He's said everything that he needs to say, Molly," said Arthur coldly.  Neither Percy nor Arthur looked at each other._

_"Where will you go?" whispered Molly.  "Arthur, please stop him.  Percy, please don't go!"_

_The door swung open by itself.  Without looking back, he walked out of the Burrow.  The door slammed behind, urging him forward.  He could hear the muffled voices behind.  His mother's sobbing echoed after him._

Percy shuddered at the memory.  The shame consumed him for a minute before he could focus on the present.  Percy remembered his mother coming to his flat in Diagon Alley, pleading with him just to talk to her.  But he had been too proud to even let her inside.  He had slammed the door in her face.  He slumped in his chair.

Slowly, he moved his hand to the mouse on the table.  He clicked on the message waiting for him from Sidney.  He had to stay in the moment.  He could not look back.  Percy read the message from Sidney.  It was an address to a Muggle government building.  

The Veritas had members that were in the Parliament and other high government positions.  They passed laws that would protect the wizarding world, but also protect the Muggles from wizards who would harm them.  These laws looked very silly to some people, but nonetheless were passed.  Lord Wallace was a rare face in the House of Lords, but when he did show up anything that he wanted passed would pass.

Percy tried not to dwell too long on the person he had become.  Was he proud of himself?  How could he be?  He was not even sure what he was.  The only thing he could do was stay in the present.  He could not think of the future because he was afraid that he did not have one.  The past was only fleeting shelter to him.  Percy found himself very much alone.

_

* * *

_

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: Gets a little melodramatic in the end.  I decided to write about how Percy walked out on the family.  It was important because it started the chain reaction of events that led him to his current position in life.  Most people don't know what angst really is.  In psychological terms, it is an idea out of personality psychology.  It occurs when a person questions their existence altogether.  Only the person can resolve this problem.  They can face it or turn away from it.  I dislike it when people call things angst when it isn't.  I doubt that some of the people who claim to write angst knows what it really means.  Percy is not having angst at the moment.  Not yet.  He doesn't question his existence as of yet.

Actually, Percy does feel things, but he doesn't really realize it.  I was watching the Food Network when I heard about the French 45.  It really does exist, but I believe it's more than what I can afford.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.   This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.  


	14. The Transfer Student

Veritas

Part Two: When I'm Gone

Chapter Thirteen – The Transfer Student

Jason Quinn was having a hard time adjusting to England.  He found the fall weather colder than he was used to.  Jason was sorted into Gryffindor.  The hardest thing about adjusting to England was Hogwarts.  He was too used to the American educational system.  In the American educational system, there was _inter_-school rivalry, but Jason did not think that _intra_-school rivalry was possible.  It was a strange way to run a school, if one was to ask him.  Despite his homesickness, he was making friends in Hogwarts.  He and Neville Longbottom became good friends, while Jason kept his distance from Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

For one thing, Hermione was too strict about following the rules.  Jason was never one to follow the rules to the letter.  He preferred to do things his way.  Jason also figured that she was extremely observant, so he did not want to get on her bad side.  

Jason could not avoid Harry and Ron.  He found out that there were vacant spots on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.  Jason was eager to try out, but he did not know much about Quidditch.  In America, they did not play Quidditch like the Europeans did.  Jason was too embarrassed to admit to anyone else, but Neville that he did not know enough about Quidditch to play.

Neville was not much help.  He enjoyed watching the sport, but could never remember all the rules.  Neville suggested asking someone else.

"Come on, Neville.  You've grown up watching it, haven't you?" asked Jason.

"Yes, but I can't remember the rules.  I only pay attention to the points," said Neville.  "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault.  Maybe, there's a book in the library," said Jason thoughtfully.

"Why don't you ask someone?" suggested Neville.  "What about Harry?  Or Ron?  Seamus?  They know the rules pretty well."

Jason cringed at the idea of asking any of his roommates.  He did not want to be laughed at.  He asked Neville because he knew that Neville was a nice guy would never laugh at anyone for not knowing something.

In fact, Jason had come into Hogwarts with decent grades.  He had done above average in Transfiguration, Potions, and History, while doing excellently in Charms.  He had top marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts.  The only thing he did not do well in was Herbology.  It was his least favorite subject; it bored him to tears.

Neville helped Jason through the material.  Jason became Neville's partner in the other classes.  They did their homework together.  Jason felt a certain kinship with Neville, but Neville did not know about Jason's parents being dead.  It was a fact that Jason kept to himself; he did not want anyone feeling sorry for him.

"Why not?" asked Neville, referring to Jason's reluctance to ask any of the boys who were their roommates about Quidditch.

"Because I don't want to look stupid," replied Jason.

"It's not stupid to ask questions about things you don't know about," said Neville.  "If you ask me, you're being stupid about the whole thing."

"Let me think.  Who could I ask without being judged?  I asked you because I knew you wouldn't laugh," said Jason.

Neville looked thoughtful for a moment.  "Maybe, you could ask Ginny.  She's already on the team as a Chaser.  I'm sure she'd help you without laughing too much.  And she won't tell the others, if you ask her not to," said Neville after a second.

"Now, there's an idea," said Jason.  "Thanks.  I'd knew you'd come up with something."

Neville shook his head.  He knew that Jason's praise was genuine.  "No problem," he muttered.  "By the way, did you finish the Herbology homework?"

Jason rolled his eyes at him.  "What'd you think?"

"Weren't you the one who said that you have to test N.E.W.T. level?" asked Neville.

"You sound like Hermione Granger," said Jason.  "I can't stand her."

Neville's cheeks flushed for a moment.  "She's nice.  And she means well."

"Oh, I see," said Jason with a devilish grin.

"You're not seeing anything," grumbled Neville.

"Yeah, yeah.  Whatever," said Jason.  "I'm going to go look for Ginny Weasley.  See if she can't help me."  He had business to deal with other than teasing Neville.  He did not like picking on people away.  At least, people who did not deserve it.

He went down to the common room, and he saw the Creevey brothers looking at their latest set of photographs.  Jason walked up to them.  "Hey, do you know where Ginny Weasley is?"

"I think she's out with the Quidditch team right now for practice," answered Colin.

Dennis was holding up a picture, "I've got one of you, Jason."

"Can I see?" asked Jason.  He had to get rid of it.  "Is this the only copy you've got?"

"We've got the negatives," answered Colin.

"I see," said Jason.  "Do you mind if I keep this?"

"Why keep a picture of yourself?" asked a voice from behind them.  It was Ron.  The team had returned from the practice.

"I'm going to send it to my uncle," replied Jason with a shrug.  "I want to show him that I'm adjusting well.  He worries." 

Hermione walked in with a large stack of books in her arms and an overstuffed bag.  "How did practice go?" she asked breathlessly.

"Harry's worried," replied Ginny as she shook off some of the excess dirt on her robes.  She had to take a bit of dive around the dirt pit under the goal rings.  The bottom of her robes were still dust covered.  "He says we haven't got a prayer if we're going to play against the Slytherins without a decent Beater.  Jack Sloper keeps breaking something.  An arm or a leg.  I don't think he can take much more of it.  On top of that, he keeps missing the Bludgers."

"I could play," said Jason in a quiet voice, not realizing that he had spoken out loud.  

"You can?" asked Ron.  "I thought Americans didn't play Quidditch like we did."

"I have awesome reflexes.  That's all you need to play Quidditch halfway decent.  And by the sounds of it, you haven't got much of a chance," said Jason with a smirk.

"Then, you can tryout next practice," said Harry as he appeared at the doorway.  "I had to take Jack to the infirmary.  So you can tryout Jason."

Jason nodded.  "I just need to get some practice in.  I'll use the school broomstick for now to practice."

"Why don't you borrow a decent broom from someone?  The school's brooms aren't that great," said Ginny.  "You can borrow mine."  She was blushing a little, which made her brother glare at Jason.

"That won't be necessary.  If I can't perform well on a bad broom, then I don't belong on the team.  I know that it doesn't make much sense, but it's the flyer, not the broom that makes the difference," said Jason.  "But thanks anyway."

Jason knew that Neville was right.  He also knew that Ginny liked him, despite Ron not being happy about it.  Ginny would want to help Jason, if he asked.  He had the picture in his hand still, deciding that he would send it to Dennis Ahmed after all.  He could also ask about getting a broomstick.  Jason made a mental note to go through the Creevey brothers' stash of photos and negatives.  He had absolute confidence that he would make it into the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Jason waited until after dinner before approaching Ginny.  He had to be careful.  He did not want to get her hopes up and hurt her feelings.  He did not just think of Ron and her other brothers, but he had to keep his secrets about the Veritas.  Jason had written to Dennis Ahmed to send the picture and requisition a broomstick.

Ginny had only told her brother about going with Dean Thomas to irk him.  She was not really going out with anyone.  After a long term crush on Harry Potter that went no where and getting dumped by Michael Corner for Cho Chang, Ginny decided to wait a while before trying again.  However, she thought that Jason Quinn was mysterious and one of those cool rebel types.  He was handsome.  

"Um…Ginny, there's something I wanted to ask you," said Jason quietly after dinner.  Hermione, Harry, and most importantly, Ron were distracted.  "I wanted to ask you for your help."

"I'll try," said Ginny, feeling her ears heat up.

"Actually, I really need help with Quidditch," admitted Jason in a low tone.  "I don't know all the rules and stuff.  I've never played before."

Ginny's eyes widened.  "But, you said you could play.  Why did you say that you could?" she whispered.

"That's why I need your help," whispered Jason.  "Are you going to help me or aren't you?  You don't want to lose to the Slytherin team, do you?"

Ginny shook her head.  "Meet me at the common room," she sighed.  "I'll try to help you as much as possible.  I don't know if I can."

"Neville said you would.  Besides, he said that you've grown up in a house with brothers playing Quidditch.  I'm sure that you can help me," said Jason confidently.

"How can you be so sure?" asked Ginny with a raised eyebrow.

"Because I can see it," replied Jason as he got up from the table.

"Where are you going?" asked Ginny.

"To the library.  I'm going to get some books," answered Jason, noticing that Ron was not so distracted anymore.

Jason went to the library, looking through books.  He found one that was a lot of help, _Quidditch Through the Ages _by Kennilworthy Whisp.  He skimmed through reading only parts of it thoroughly.  He had not told Ginny when he would be at the common room.  Jason skimmed through the book.  The section on fouls was massive.  He was glad he was not trying out for Seeker.  Jason carefully read the section on Beaters and what they did.  

He read until he was kicked out of the library by Madame Pince.  Jason went back to the common room and found Ginny asleep in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace.  The fire was ablaze; Jason knew that the House Elves had taken care of things.  House Elves were not common in the Americas.  Those used were paid for their work.  

"Ginny, I'm sorry.  I lost track of time in library," whispered Jason as he crouched down to wake her.  There was no one else in the common room.  Ginny woke with a start.  "Sorry," he murmured again.

Ginny's cheeks turned nearly as red as her hair.  "That's okay," she said.  She was happy to see him because she thought he had forgotten about meeting with her.  She noticed how blue his eyes were at the moment.  They were a lighter shade of blue than her mother's, which Bill, Percy, and Ron had inherited.  

"Are you ready now?" he asked.  "Or is it too late?"  He took a seat on a nearby chair that was more than an arm's length away from her.  She felt cold suddenly when he pulled away from her.  She pulled closer to the fire to warm up again, but it was not the same.  

"No, it's not.  You have good timing.  Ron's already in bed.  He kept asking when I'd go to bed," said Ginny.  "Did you find anything that helped you in the library?"

"Yes, but it's very confusing.  Could you just go over the basics without going in depth?" asked Jason.

Ginny smiled and began explaining the basics of Quidditch to Jason.  Ginny carefully explained what a Beater was supposed to do.  She kept assuring him that the person most in danger on a Quidditch pitch was the Seeker.  Ginny told him how a Beater could get a foul by using examples from when Fred and George were on the team.  Some of what she said eased the nervousness that Jason was feeling, but amplified others.

"I hope you do tryout and get in.  We really need some help.  Like I said, I don't think that Jack can take anymore," said Ginny.  "Besides, I'm afraid he'll clip me with a Bludger next game."  She gave a nervous laugh.  Jason yawned.

"I'm going to bed.  Are you going?" asked Jason as he stood up to stretch a little.

"Yes.  Good luck," said Ginny as she turned towards the girls' staircase.

"One more thing," said Jason.  Ginny turned with an inquisitive look.  "Would you mind not telling anyone about this?  About me not knowing anything really about Quidditch."

"No problem.  I won't tell anyone," promised Ginny, giving him another reassuring smile.  "You'll do fine."

"Thanks, Ginny."

"You're welcome, Jason."

Ginny waited until Jason went up the boys' staircase to go to bed before going up, too.  She was thinking about Jason.  She had gotten to know him better that night, but getting to know him better made her want to know more about him.  She smiled as she went into her room and went to sleep.

The day that Jason tried out for the Quidditch team it was raining.  Jason looked at the gloom outside and sighed.  "Hey, you'll be fine," said Neville, reading his thoughts.  "It's only a little rain."

"A little rain?  There's hardly any visibility outside," said Jason.  "Oh, could you check my Herbology homework?"

Neville took it from him and looked it over.  "Not bad, but you got number four wrong."

"What's the answer?"

"It's in your notes," answered Neville.  Jason grumbled while hunting for his notes, knowing that pestering Neville to give him the answer would just waste time.  He found the roll of parchment, skimmed it, found the answer, and corrected it on the homework.

"Let's go," said Jason.  "I'm starving."

They went down for breakfast in the Great Hall.  The minute Jason sat down, someone called him, "Hey Yank!  I heard that you were going to tryout for the Gryffindor Quidditch team."  It was the malicious voice of Draco Malfoy.  Jason did not bother to turn around.  Draco was not worth even looking at.

"That's right," said Jason calmly.

"They must be really desperate," said Draco.

"Not as desperate as you, baby Death Eater," said Jason with a grin.  "You must be scared, if you're paying so much attention to me right now.  You're afraid that I'll make a decent Beater and Slytherin won't have a chance."

Ron sputtered when he heard Jason say "baby Death Eater."  Harry grinned as he looked at Jason.  Hermione choked back a giggle, while Neville seized up.  The rest of the Gryffindors were laughing.

"Watch it, Half-Blood," said Draco warningly.  He had taken an immediate dislike to Jason when he had first arrived.  

"Better to be a Half-Blood than a pureblood like you," said Jason, still not turning around.  "We won't have to wait very long, baby Death Eater.  Your family will just breed itself inward until you cease to exist.  Muggle science has proven that."

"Leave him alone," said Ginny out loud without looking at Draco.

Draco had a grin on his face.  "So, you're defending another boy, Weasley?"  Jason stood up at that moment.  Jason turned to face Draco, using his height to intimidate him.  Draco took a step back.  Jason's eyes were blazing.  "You were kind enough to warn me, so I'll give you the same courtesy.  Watch it, baby Death Eater."

"What is going on here?" demanded Professor McGonagall.  Draco scowled.  "What are you up to, Mr. Quinn?"

"Nothing, Professor McGonagall," replied Jason with a winning grin, which did not impress her.  She knew about his reputation from the other school.  Jason was a contender for the empty school prankster spot that Fred and George Weasley had once filled.  Professor McGonagall knew that Jason was suspected of several pranks, but was never caught.

Professor McGonagall looked at the other students.  "Mr. Malfoy, move along," she decided after a moment.  Draco walked back to the Slytherin table, but he threw a glare back at Jason.  It was odd that Jason did not get him into trouble like most Gryffindors normally would do.  "Do behave yourself, Quinn."

"Well, do, Professor," said Jason, fighting the compulsion to salute her.  

"Please stop smiling like that, Quinn," ordered Professor McGonagall.  Jason immediately stopped.  She walked onward, while Jason sat back down.

"That was awfully brave of you," said Ron.  "Anyone else in Gryffindor would have turned in Malfoy."

"There's no point in kicking a dog while he's down, Ron," said Jason.  "His father's already in Azkaban.  I have better things to do with my time.  And I plan on shutting him up when I tryout for the team."

"It's raining hard, so don't think you're going to get off easy just because of that," said Harry.  "I plan to win the cup this year, Jason."

"I'll try my best," said Jason.

The owls flew in with the morning mail and other deliveries.  Jason had used one of the school's owls because he did not have one of his own.  The school owl came back with a message for him from Dennis Ahmed.  Jason smiled when he read the note because Dennis said Jason could have a broomstick, if he made the team.  Dennis also warned him about the pictures that the Creevey brothers were taking.  Jason had to dispose of all the negatives along with any other copies the brothers had made.  Jason added it to his list of things to do.

Jason and Neville went off to class with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  Ginny went to class with her friends, but not without taking another glance at Jason as she left.  She was wondering about him.  He was unlike any person she had ever met.  He was fun, but at the same time very serious about something.  Ginny hoped that Jason would make the team.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Michael Corner and Cho Chang walking together to class.  She bit her lip as her friends looked at her sympathetically.  Of course, Ginny was still a little broken up over Michael.  He was her first boyfriend.  He had dumped her for the stupidest reason: Ravenclaws and Gryffindors are not meant to mix.  That was what she got from all of his blabbering.  Ginny did not listen to most of it.  It hurt too much to listen to all of it.  Before Michael could finish his farewell speech, Ginny had cut him off telling him to shut up.  

Even though she tried to make it look like she was not that hurt, for Ron's sake, it made her feel inadequate.  As if she was not meant to have anyone like her.  She did not feel like anyone would like her after Michael.  She thought of her crush on Harry that went no where.  This served to steel Ginny against Jason.  She did not know what his motives were.  Maybe, he was just playing around with her as well.  The point was that Ginny did not know Jason that well.  If there was one thing that she knew for certain it was that Jason was hiding some big secret.  Or several secrets.  Ginny could not tell at the moment.

When the lessons ended for the day, Jason went out to the pitch to get ready for his tryout.  Neville had joined him for moral support.  He watched Jason fly around on one of the school's brooms.  It was the best one that they could find, but it was not all that great.  It kept bucking at the worst times, nearly throwing Jason off.  The broomstick would also suddenly stop, causing Jason to drop his Beater club.  

"Maybe, you should borrow another broom," suggested Neville, wincing when the broomstick came to a sudden stop.  

"I said I could do the tryouts on one of the school's brooms.  I can't go back on what I said.  I'd look like a hypocrite," muttered Jason. 

"You're just being stubborn.  You're going to get killed," said Neville.  He was not joking.  "You've got to borrow one.  You want to make the team, don't you?"

"Yes," answered Jason, rolling his eyes at Neville.  "Honestly, you worry too much, Neville.  I'm too stupid to die this way."

"I'm not disagreeing with you," said Neville.  "But, I think you should borrow a broomstick from someone.  A decent one."

"You worry too much," repeated Jason.  "My guardian said that I can't get a broomstick until I make it on the team."

Neville looked at Jason strangely for a moment.  It was the first time that Jason mentioned any kind of family.  Jason did not say a specific relative, but "guardian."  It made Neville wonder.  "Don't you have parents?" asked Neville a quiet voice.

Jason looked at him, but got no chance to reply.  The Gryffindor Quidditch team entered the pitch, saving Jason from responding.  He pursed his lips together.  "Hey everyone!" he declared jovially, turning his attention away from Neville.  

Neville was not hurt by his reaction.  He recognized it in himself.  Neville decided not to press Jason any further.  He hoped that any other person would do the same.

Harry glanced at Ron for a moment.  "Are you ready?" asked Harry.

"Yes," replied Jason, noticing that there were spectators arriving, including Draco Malfoy with a group of Slytherins.  There were also people from Gryffindor.  Jason looked impassively at all of them.

"Then, let's see what you can do.  Ginny, Alicia, and Natalie will be throwing Quaffles at you.  See if you can deflect them," said Harry.  

Ginny, Alicia, and Natalie mounted their brooms and took off.  Jason propelled his broom to meet them.  Hermione took a seat next to Neville.  "How do you think he'll do?" asked Hermione.

"I think he'll do fine," said Neville, but he gave her an apprehensive look.  "It's the broomstick that I'm worried about."

Jason looked at each one of the chasers.  They each had a Quaffle in their hands.  Ginny was in the center.  He knew that she was not about to let him join the team just because he was new and needed a chance.  Natalie looked a little unsure of herself, while Alicia was looking straight at him.  It reminded Jason of a firing squad.

Harry took his position at a higher level to see everything better, while Ron took his position at the goal.  Andrew hovered nearby with his Beater's club ready.  Jason took a deep breath as Harry shouted, "GO!"

The Chasers threw the Quaffles simultaneously.  Jason knew that he was not supposed to hit them all.  That was impossible.  He ducked the Quaffle from Ginny, which was aimed at his head, and hit the one thrown by Alicia.  He let the one from Natalie drop.  Ron swooped underneath them and grabbed the Quaffle that Natalie threw before it could hit the ground.

This was part of the plan that Harry had devised.  Ron came up from behind Jason before he could turn because the Chasers had torn off after him.  Ron threw the Quaffle hard at Jason.  He almost got hit, but swung his Beater club to deflect it.  He barely had time to turn.  Jason had miscalculated; the Quaffle flew towards Ginny who had no defense.  It was going to fast.

"AH!" she managed to scream just as the Quaffle struck her.  She had been knocked off her broom.  Alicia and Natalie took after her, but only got Ginny's broomstick.

"GINNY!" shouted Ron as he willed his broom to go faster.  Harry darted from his position to catch her.  Andrew was too far, but went towards Ginny.

Jason had been the closest, so he instinctively went to Ginny, catching her in his arms.  "Got you!" he declared, holding her steady.  Ginny looked at him with surprise.  "Are you okay?" he asked.  Ginny nodded.  

Harry was the first one to arrive after Jason.  "Are you all right?" he asked.  Ron came just when Harry did, and he was followed shortly by Alicia, Natalie, and Andrew.  

"I'm fine.  Good catch, Jason," said Ginny as she gave him a weak smile.  He gave her a smile that made her feel weaker.

"Yeah, good catch," agreed Ron, looking so pale that his freckles were darker.  "What do you say, Harry?"

All eyes were on Harry.  "Not bad.  You knew better than to hit all of the Quaffles, which means that you know how to dodge well," said Harry.  "You just need watch your aim a bit more."  They all went back down to the ground.  Harry glanced up at the stands and noticed that the Slytherin were not making any of their usual jokes.  On the contrary, Draco's face was twisted into a scowl.  

Harry smiled because that meant that Jason was a threat to Slytherin's chances.  Jason released Ginny from his grip as soon as they were back on the ground.  Ron rushed over to her to look her over to make sure that she was all right.  "I'm really sorry, Ginny," muttered Ron.  "I'm sorry."

"Shut up, Ron.  Stop apologizing," said Ginny, her ears turning red.

"Are you sure you're all right?" asked Ron.  "Maybe we should go to the—"

"I don't want to go to the infirmary, Ron!" exclaimed Ginny.

"Well, I guess this sort of blew my chances, didn't it?" asked Jason, glancing at Harry.  "I could hear it coming, but I wasn't fast enough."

"Didn't you hear what I said up there?" asked Harry.  He sighed when Jason shook his head.  "I said that you have to watch your aim more."

Jason's eye widened.  "I'm on the team?" he asked.

"Yeah, you're on the team," answered Harry with a grin.  "Looks like we've got ourselves a new Beater!"

"Yeah!  Woohoo!" exclaimed Jason happily.

"What next?" asked Ron.  He almost got smacked upside the head by Ginny.  It was enough of a threat to make him decide against Ginny going to the infirmary.

"BRING ON THE BLUDGERS!" shouted Jason with a laugh.

The rest of the team shook their heads at him before joining in with his laughter.  Jason's laughter was infectious.

* * *

Written by kirikarin

Beta Read by IvyDragon

AN: I decided to take a break from Percy's angst to develop Jason's character a bit more.  I know that a lot of people are big Harry/Ginny shippers, but I've never been much of a proponent for it.  J.K. Rowling writes from Harry's perspective of things; she supports Ron/Hermione, but I haven't seen enough evidence for Harry/Ginny.  I'm not saying that Jason and Ginny are going to become an item.  He's got to hide a lot of things from people, and as a member of the Veritas, he can't let anyone get too close to him.

Jason does have some problems that he hides behind his more extroverted personality.  This is the reason why he made friends with Neville.  He doesn't know exactly what Neville is hiding, but Jason feels he can relate to Neville better than he can to the other boys.  Besides, Jason has to keep a bit of distance between himself and the Golden Trio, especially Hermione.  If anyone can figure out that he's not what he seems, it's her.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.  


	15. Mission in Ireland

Veritas

Part Two: When I'm Gone

Chapter Fourteen – Mission in Ireland

Sidney arrived at the headquarters of the Veritas main offices in London.  She was surprised to be summoned to the main offices.  She was tired from the previous night because she could not get any sleep.  Her mind was distracted.  

She hoped that Percy got the orders to meet in the hidden office in the Parliament building that was in a concealed sublevel.  She had given his orders, but she was not going to be involved in his next mission.  Sidney did what she always did: push herself forward.

The Veritas main offices were not located anywhere near the warehouses that Gizmo's labs occupied.  Rather, they were located close to the Muggle government building for easy access to the Muggles' files.  The clinic where the agents went for treatment, as well as medical tests, was located near St. Mungo's.  There were several safe houses all over London as well as other key world capitals.  

Sidney went through the security checkpoints with ease.  She entered the room where they were waiting for her.  Another agent was there, which made Sidney smile.  She took a seat next to her.  They were both dressed in business suits.  Sidney was dressed in a pants suit, while the other agent in a skirt.

The other agent was a beautiful blonde woman with hair the color of young wheat.  Her eyes were greenish-blue, surrounded by long eyelashes.  Her skin was darker than Sidney's; her cheeks rosy, her lips had deep red lipstick on them.  Sidney's features were in sharp contrast to hers.  Sidney had a more curvy, hour-glass figure, while the other agent had a nearly flat chest.  They were the same height. 

"You have been summoned here today because there is an upcoming meeting for the Death Eaters," said the woman at the front desk.  A man was seating on either side of her.  Her face was timeless, leaving one wondering what her age was.  Her face was oval shaped.  Her eyes were dark, so dark that it seemed she had no pupils.  Her hair was black, and styled in a single layer.  She looked like she was carved out of ivory.  This was Delphi.  "Welcome Aura.  Artemis."

The women nodded at the same time.  "We have learned of where the meeting is going to take place.  It will take place in Belfast, Ireland."

"Isn't there a military presence there already?" asked Artemis.  "I mean between the terrorist groups and the shaky government, there's too many people paying attention."

"It's the type of place that Voldemort would like though," said Aura quietly.  "He feeds off of that kind of horror.  It energizes him."

"That is quite correct, Aura," said Delphi.  "That is where the meeting will take place.  Last year's meeting took place in the Moors up north.  Voldemort moves the locations of the meeting to stay one step ahead of the Order of the Phoenix.  That's how we also know when the meeting is going to take place."

"What is our mission?" asked Artemis.

"You are to go to Belfast to make sure that the Death Eaters stay hidden.  Make sure that there are no attacks.  There haven't been lately, but Voldemort is getting bolder," said Delphi.

"When do we leave?" asked Aura, eager to get out of England for a while.

"Immediately," replied Delphi.  "You're dismissed."

The two women stood up as Delphi and her men walked out before them.  Sidney dropped her formality the moment that Delphi's footsteps could no longer be heard.  "Ophelia!" exclaimed Sidney.

"Sidney!  It's great to see you," said Ophelia as they embraced.  "I'm so glad to see you.  I almost didn't recognized you just now.  You were being so formal."

"Me?  I almost didn't recognize you," said Sidney with a laugh.  "You look great.  You've got more color on your cheeks than I do."

"That's because I've been stationed in the Paris offices," said Ophelia.  "There's nothing like a Parisian atmosphere to build the spirit.  So, how've been?  I heard that you're busy with the recruits here in England."

"Only one right now," said Sidney.  "He's off doing something else today.  Never mind me, I want to hear about you and Paris."

"Oh, Paris was so beautiful.  And the food was, of course, to die for.  I've been back in London for a few weeks, but I've had to take care of the usual business.  I didn't get a chance to contact you.  I was so worried that I'd be shipped off again before we could get together."

Sidney smiled.  "I didn't even know you were in London.  I've been so busy, but you can understand that."

"I still want to know what you've been up to," said Ophelia.  "Anyone new in your life other than your recruit?"

Ophelia Van Winter was a Ravenclaw prefect, who was up against Sidney for Head Girl in Hogwarts.  They were friends throughout their entire time in Hogwarts.  Ophelia was the prototypical Ravenclaw, clever and full of wit.  Her father was a wizard from England.  Ophelia was recruited into the Veritas years after Sidney. 

Sidney shook her head.  "No.  No time for that sort of thing.  Anyway, do you want to go to lunch?" she asked, switching topics.  

"All right, but I insist that I pay," said Ophelia. 

"Then, I'll hold you to it," said Sidney with a smile.

Percy could not believe that he was in the Parliament building.  It was the symbol of the country's Muggle government.  He followed instructions to get to the sublevel of the building.  Noticing how many guards were there, he felt a little self-conscious.  

"Identification," asked one of the guards.  Percy dug in his pocket for his wallet and handed it over.  It was late in the afternoon.  He had just gotten off of work from the Ministry of Magic.  "Proceed, Mr. Weasley."

Percy walked in front of the door that led to the House of Commons, the more powerful seat of government over the House of Lords.  A guard there stopped him.  Percy was not allowed into that section of the Parliament.  He was not allowed into the other sections as well.  Only the sublevel. 

Percy found his way to the elevator and took it to the lowest level.  After that, he went onto the maintenance elevator and went down further.  There was a lot of security on the bottom levels as well.  Percy had read the information on the government.  The Muggle British Government had good reason for so many security measures, but they were nothing to a wizard like Percy.

Percy stopped in front of a door.  It could only be opened by a card key.  It was an enchanted door that was sealed with a powerful spell much like the doors at the Department of Mysteries.  Percy took out his card that he had put the chip in the previous night.  He slid it into the reader.  The door slid opened.

He stepped forward and found himself behind another glass window.  Percy stood still as he was scanned.  It read his magical signature and confirmed his identity without the annoying voice that he had heard at Gizmo's lab.  The glass window slid open to allow him inside.

"There you are, Omega," greeted Asmodeus.

"Dennis—I mean Asmodeus—it's good to see you," said Omega with a smile.  "I have no idea why I was summoned here."

"This is your first time in the Parliament, isn't it?" asked Asmodeus.  Omega nodded.  "Alpha is never at any of the meetings.  In fact, he barely sets foot in this building.  Let alone this section."

"I wonder why."

"He has his reasons," said Asmodeus with a shrug.  "This is the one of the hidden parts of the Veritas that holds some of the most valuable information about the organization.  We picked a location that was already full of security and a place that people wouldn't suspect."

"Most people wouldn't expect us to be like this in the first place.  But that still doesn't explain why I'm here," said Omega.

"You are here because of a suspected security break in," answered Asmodeus.

"But, the last one was resolved.  It's not Eve," said Omega.

"No.  We know that for sure.  The break in happened sometime after Eve was already in custody.  In fact, we've asked her.  She swears she doesn't know what's happened and has offered to help us look for the culprit," said Asmodeus.

"What was taken?" asked Omega.

"That's what we're afraid of.  Nothing was taken because several files were broken into," said Asmodeus.  He sighed.  "However, the person has also tapped into the codenames lists as well as the real names list.  Luckily for us, the readings of magical signatures of all the agents are located at Gizmo's labs and the medical offices.  We don't keep a full listing here because only a limited amount of agents are added to the reader."

Omega paled slightly as his eyes widened.  "Can the files be copied?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Asmodeus.  "You can see the problem here.  Several missions are at stake right now."

"What can I do?" asked Omega.  "How did this happen?  How could this happen?"

"We suspect that someone in our ranks did it.  Nothing like this has ever happened before.  As I said, there's a possibility that it started when we went under lockdown before," replied Asmodeus.  "It's not only the agents who are in danger, Omega."

"The families of the agents," said Omega grimly.  "Let me guess: you want me to investigate."

"You were the reason for the last breech, so you might be able to find out who's doing this.  I've got a bad feeling about this one.  I don't think this person is looking for help this time."

"The information is extremely valuable, especially for certain parties," said Omega.

"The seriousness of this matter requires your time more than anything.  You'll be pulled off of surveillance on the Ministry of Magic," said Asmodeus.

"What about the Order?" asked Omega.  "I can't stop there.  I can't turn my back on what I've started."  He was thinking about his family.  His family was one of the many families in danger.

"I understand that, so you won't be pulled from there," said Asmodeus.  "You have to keep your cover though in the Ministry if you want to keep your cover with the Order."

Percy dropped his agent persona at that moment.  He did not feel as if he was being stretched too thin, but rather tired of working so many things at once.  Percy found it harder and harder to come to the Ministry of Magic and continue to pretend that he was anything, but totally obedient.  He thought of his family.  He had no choice, but to continue.

"The Death Eaters will be meeting in Belfast soon," said Omega.  Percy slipped back into his agent persona again.  "Will we be monitoring the situation there?"

"Yes, but you won't be," said Asmodeus.

"Yes, sir," said Omega with a nod.

Another moment passed before Asmodeus dropped his seriousness.  "Look, this is very serious, Percy.  I know how important this case is going to be for you.  I am the one in charge of this mission though.  I was given orders to direct the best person possible.  You've got a way of getting through to people.  I trust you."

Percy looked at Dennis oddly, a look that could not be described.  "I'll do my best, Dennis.  You know that."

Sidney and Ophelia Apparated to Ireland after they picked up their equipment.  The two women were talking about old times, but they also talked about current events.  They did not discuss other missions.  It was against protocol to do that.  They had to maintain their cover as two English women on a business trip for their company.  

They were staying in a suite with two separate rooms connected by one common room.  It had a kitchenette.  The first thing they did when they arrived in the suite was to look for listening and viewing devices.  They looked behind pictures, under the beds and chairs, even the tables and nightstands.  Sidney checked the telephones carefully, while Ophelia looked through the electronic devices around the room, including the television and lamps. Ophelia and Sidney did a thorough check of the room before they started talking.  

"Of all the places in the world to meet," said Ophelia.  "There's too much security around here, Sidney."

"I know, but it's mostly Muggles.  Our kind has managed to stay out of the conflicts here.  We've got bigger problems," said Sidney grimly.  "A problem that is just as big as theirs."

"He wants to exterminate more than ninety percent of the world population," said Ophelia.  "I think the problem we're having concerns everyone."

Sidney did not disagree.  She started to unpack the equipment.  Ophelia started looking around the room again.  She turned the thermostat up because she was feeling a bit cold.  "I never asked you what you've been really up to.  I bet the men in Paris were to die for," said Sidney with a small smile.

"I had my nose too close to the grind to pay attention to anything.  By the way, did you hear about the latest breech?" asked Ophelia.

Sidney looked at her blankly before she could respond, "We're not supposed to talk about it."

Ophelia laughed.  "Oh, come on, Sidney.  When are you going to just take things easy?  You're always so serious," she said.

"One of us has to take things serious between the two of us.  You can't reduce things to office gossip."

Ophelia rolled her eyes at Sidney.  "Just because we are what we are doesn't mean that we stop living life, Sidney.  You need to loosen up.  There are people like us dating and getting married."

It was Sidney's turn to roll her eyes at Ophelia.  "A woman doesn't have to have a man to be complete," she disagreed.  "I refuse to be that kind of woman."

"That's narrow minded of you," said Ophelia.  "I mean you had the perfect boyfriend before.  Even you would have to admit that.  I don't understand why you broke it off."

Sidney pursed her lips together.  Ophelia was always good at cutting her to the core.  She knew how to do it in a way that did not appear threatening.  She was the type of person who could read another's weaknesses very well.  Sidney had almost forgotten Ophelia's tactics; she was not above exploiting other people's weaknesses.  

Sidney was glad she did not mention exactly who her charge was.  She knew that Ophelia would have a lot to say about Percy Weasley.  No doubt Ophelia would ask all kinds of uncomfortable questions that Sidney would not feel like answering.  Percy was not going to be a topic of their conversations, if Sidney could help it.  

"Let's get down to business," said Sidney, and before Ophelia could interrupt her, she added, "That's what we're here for.  The Death Eaters.  We have to monitor them."

"You're just avoiding the subject.  Same old Sidney.  You need to get a life outside of the Veritas," said Ophelia.  "Nonetheless, I suppose your right."

Sidney clutched her jaw.  She reminded herself that not only was Ophelia a friend, but a competitor.  They had competed in almost every facet of their lives.  At least that was how things seemed to Ophelia.  Sidney just naturally excelled in everything, while Ophelia always seemed one step behind her.

"Where did they say that they were meeting?" asked Ophelia, deciding by herself to finally change topics.

"At a part of the city that very few of the Muggles venture into," said Sidney.  "Obviously.  We'll have to find out by going into the wizarding community here."

"I doubt they would be keen on outsiders, coming in and asking around.  Couldn't the agent who found it tell us more?"

"No.  The source that the Order has told them which city the meeting would take place.  But, Voldemort isn't enough of a fool to say the exact location until they all gathered here."

"This would be one of the ideal places to attack.  They could simply say that it was another outbreak and get away with it.  That's what the Muggle authorities are expecting."

"They wouldn't be able to figure it out.  Do you honestly think that they would stoop to using Muggle weaponry?"

"Dead is dead, isn't it?" said Ophelia with a shrug.  "We know how to use it."

Sidney was about to argue with her and correct her.  They did use Muggle weaponry, but only in dealing with Muggles.  Sidney doubted that Voldemort would ever even consider using Muggle weaponry.  She decided to not waste her energy.

The two women had arrived in Belfast early because they did not know the exact location of the meeting, only the time and day.  They had to find out where the meeting was going to take place.  They only had forty-eight hours to find out when the meeting was to take place. 

On the first day, they stuck together, inquiring in and around certain circles.  They were not able to get anything, but red herrings.  The false leads were very frustrating for both of them.  They talked about what had happened.  Ophelia had thought long and hard about the problem.  She came to the conclusion that the problem was them traveling together.  She said that it probably made people not take them seriously or frightened them off all together.  Her suggestion was that they were to split up on the next day, if they had any hope of trying to figure out when the meeting was to take place.

Sidney was reluctant for them to split up.  What if one of them needed assistance?  Ophelia told her it was the only way, so Sidney agreed.  On the next morning, they went to look at different resources.  Ophelia had decided to go into the parts of wizarding community in Belfast that were less than safe to listen to any rumors and look at the hotel registries at lesser known places.

Sidney decided to search in a different way.  She knew that Voldemort was a half-blood.  She wondered if he would take the chance and meet in a more Muggle place.  So, she made her way to the public offices and looked through public records.  She even went up to parts that were out of the city, but her searches garnered nothing.

She returned back to the hotel, utterly dejected and reeking of failure.  Sidney wondered where the meeting would take place.  Sidney immediately noticed that Ophelia had not returned to their suite when she came back.  Sidney began to pace up and down the room, wondering if anything had happened.

The whole mission was bothering her a lot.  Sidney's track record was perfect.  She had never failed a mission.  Ever.  She did not want to fail this one.  She could not.

Ophelia walked in hours later to find Sidney looking out the window.  "Sidney!" she exclaimed, looking like a cat that had swallowed a large canary.  She looked extremely pleased with herself.  "I know where the meeting is taking place." 

"You do?  That's great," said Sidney.  "How?"

"I looked up the wizarding properties around Belfast.  It seems that there's a house owned by a reputed Dark Arts wizard in the area.  A lot of the wizards here are even afraid to go near it.  It's outside the city.  It's far away from prying eyes and curious souls."

"Then, we better find a way inside," said Sidney.  "The meeting will take place tomorrow night at eight."

"That won't be a problem for us.  The magic we use is not known to them," said Ophelia.  

Sidney said nothing as she prepared for the rest of the mission.  She did not voice her doubts or worries to Ophelia because they would be merely dismissed.  There were many times when Sidney wondered what Ophelia thought of her.  Ophelia was an abrupt person and at times had little to no regard for others' feelings.  Sidney was on her guard.

Percy was looking through the computers in the hidden room.  He wished that Jason was not at Hogwarts.  Jason would have had an easier time, and Percy wondered why Dennis just did not turn over the work to someone who had more experience.  Dennis wanted someone he could trust.  

Percy found out that less than a dozen people had access to the room.  However, it was unknown just how many people knew about the room and its contents.  Percy had to look through the files, which included records of where and when an agent was at almost any given time.  These files were not always accurate.  Percy found out that there were several agents who could have done it.  

There were too many suspects, even narrowing the list down to just wizards was not enough.  Wizards could Apparate and Disapparate easily.  Furthermore, they were all professional liars.  They could lie about where they were and what they were doing.  It was very simple.

The search was getting no where fast.  He had spent several hours looking through the list of the names.  There were hundreds of agents out there.  Percy decided to make a profile of the person who would break in and steal data from them, but there was not enough information.

A noise startled Percy from behind, Dennis had returned.  He looked grim and a little pale.  He took a deep breath.  Percy had never seen Dennis in such a state before.  "What's wrong?" asked Percy.

"There's been an attack," whispered Dennis.

Percy's eyes widened.  "Where?  When?  Who was attacked?" he muttered, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"It was a Veritas family in Ireland," replied Dennis.  "The Dark Mark was hovering over the house.  A team has been sent there.  They're investigating before the Irish authorities ask too many questions.  It took place in a Muggle neighborhood.  The team has to use memory charms on all of the Muggles."

"Which family?" asked Percy, feeling sick to his stomach.

"O'Connor," replied Dennis.  "His codename is Baldur."

"I'll take him off the suspect list.  I have to get back to work," said Percy, trying to keep his serious, business-like composure.  "How many?" he added, unable to stop himself.

"His parents," replied Dennis.  "I have to go and see him.  He's currently in the Hong Kong offices.  I have to go in person.  It's the least I can do.  I don't want him to get a call from the Muggle authorities.  Keep me posted."

"Yes, sir," said Percy without looking at him.  Dennis left again.  Percy looked at the screen.  He had just brought up the profile of Baldur, whose real name was Grant O'Connor.  Percy brought up O'Connor's family information and changed the status to "parents deceased."  He started the report on the deaths of the O'Connors and waited for the information from the team that had gone down there.

Afterwards, Percy went back to work and started a profile on the theft, but changed it to murderer.  He was not sure if the theft had anything to do with the murders, but later on he would be proven right.  He did not want to be right.

* * *

AN: Terrible, isn't it?  The Veritas is about to take a large hit.  They are vulnerable because of their connections to Muggles.  This is not the first death, and there will be more.  Percy will continue his work as he tries to protect his family from himself.  

There is also a secret to Sidney's past that will be revealed later on, and it has something to do with Bill.  There's loads of drama coming up.  This whole part may very well be about her and her demons.  Sidney's an interesting character because she is mysterious.  There are times when even I don't understand her.  Another character that is hard to understand is Dennis "Asmodeus" Ahmed.  I like him a lot because he is wise, even though I haven't had an opportunity to show that yet.

I'm sorry for the lack of updates because I've been very busy with school this term.  I'm down to my final term.  I've already sent some of the next chapters to the beta reader, IvyDragon, so have no fear there will be more soon.  

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry.  This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.  


	16. First Confrontation

Veritas

Part Two: When I'm Gone

Chapter Fifteen – First Confrontation

The attack on Baldur's family was only the first of many. Much to the horror of the Veritas, and Percy's utter failure to locate the person who had given away the information, the attacks continued. The Veritas was not prepared for this. They had no way have knowing when another attack was going to happen or who the target was.

Sidney and Ophelia had managed to get into the meeting using Vertias techniques. They found out that Wormtail had met with an agent from the Veritas. This person had given information about the members as well as locations. Voldemort was keeping the information to himself, but sending groups of Death Eaters to attack the Muggles who were related to the Veritas members. 

Severus Snape did not get any of this information because Voldemort was only giving the addresses of the Muggles to the Death Eaters doing the attacks. Snape could only return to the Order with news that the attacks were starting and confirm the existence of the Veritas.

During that particular meeting, Percy had been quiet, thinking about how he had been unsuccessful his mission was. He could not bring himself to speak. He thought of how horrible it was. Shortly, after the first attack, another one came.

The Order of the Phoenix did not know much about the attacks, but they were keeping their eyes open and their ears to the ground. The Veritas had done an excellent job of covering things up. Some of the attacks were in the Muggle newspapers, but they were not placed on the front page. 

"The Dark Lord has directed attacks towards certain Muggles. These particular Muggles are attached to the Veritas. They are families of the organization. As far as we know, the Veritas is an organization that supports Muggles, but we don't know much else," said Snape.

"I didn't know such an organization existed," said Arthur Weasley. "Perhaps, we could work with them."

"We don't know how big the Veritas is exactly," said Remus Lupin. "We don't know the kind of hold they have over the rest of the world."

Bill spoke up, "But, why are they such a big secret?" He did not spend a lot of time in the Muggle world, even though he liked to explore every once in a while. Bill was overly self-conscious in the Muggle world, worrying about whether or not he looked like he fit in. "They're not even a new group. You'd think that we've heard more about them."

"Do you think they know the Muggles do things?" wondered Arthur out loud. "Do you think that they live among them?"

Percy looked down when he heard his father's words. He was sitting next to Charlie, wishing that he were anywhere but there. He wanted to get back to work. He did not want to be there listening to them talk about the Veritas. Percy felt like they could see through him.

"The Veritas has always been very separatist from the rest of the wizarding world," said Professor Dumbledore. "I have no idea what kind of methods they use. I do know that they have had their hands in some world events here and there. They are an international organization. Considering how long they've been around, they are probably much larger than us."

"I wouldn't be so trusting of 'em right away," growled Moody, his magical eye swirling around his socket. "They might be the enemy as well. How do we know they'd join us? They could be doing something much more dangerous than the Death Eaters. They could be a bigger problem."

"You're so paranoid," said Tonks. "Honestly. They're helping Muggles. Or working with them. Whatever. They're not killing Muggles. It does sound rather intriguing just the same."

"They probably have people just like us running around," said Kingsley. "But, since there's more of them, they've got a larger pool of people to pull from. I wouldn't be surprised if they have some high ranking people in our world and in the Muggle world."

"Maybe someone in the Ministry of Magic," mused Charlie. "Did you notice anything, Percy?"

Percy was startled when he heard his name being called, but he shook his head. He did not say anything, but he would have been interrupted either way. "I think it would be very dangerous for you to ask Percy to go looking for anyone connected with this group. He's already doing enough," chided Molly. 

"Molly, no one is saying he has to do that," said Arthur. "I haven't noticed anything myself. At this point, their group is more in danger than ours. Voldemort has targeted them specifically."

"Someone betrayed them," said Snape grimly. "Someone within their own organization."

Percy clutched his jaw. He already knew that, but every time he thought about it, it made him very furious. He was eager to get out of the meeting as quickly as possible, but he was also concerned about his brothers. He did not have to worry so much about Ron and Ginny because they were in Hogwarts. They were relatively safe.

"Looks like they've got a rat in their ranks," said Fred disgustedly. "Another Wormtail."

"We don't even know how many attacks there've been. Why won't You-Know-Who tell all of the Death Eaters?" asked George.

"He's being very careful about it letting the other Death Eaters know just in case a member of the Veritas finds out. If all of them know, then the Veritas only has to capture one of them in order to get them to talk," replied Snape.

"We don't know what the Veritas is capable of," said Moody. 

_That's right. You have no idea._ Percy mused silently. He did not trust himself to speak at this point. He was thinking about what would happen next.

"Papa, you said that you were thinking of going back to Holland," said Sidney. She was having lunch with her father at a restaurant in London. 

Her father was a dignified gentleman. Dr. Oscar Nelsen was a man in his mid-fifties, which was middle age for Muggles. He was born in Holland, educated in Switzerland, and built his private practice in England. 

The Nelsen were a typical upper class family in London's social circuit. Dr. Nelsen was Catholic, which was not typical from where he was from originally. That was partially the reason why he was educated in Switzerland. Mrs. Nelsen was Jewish. Some of her family had escaped to Switzerland during World War II. Neither of them practiced their religions.

Sidney's parents knew what it was like to be prosecuted for being something they could not help being. They were Muggles, while Sidney was a witch. She had told her father a little bit about Voldemort and what he was doing.

"Yes, I was considering it, Sidney," said Dr. Nelsen. "Why are you bringing it up? You said that you didn't want us to."

"Papa, I was just thinking that it might be safer for you to be in Holland," said Sidney. "You've mentioned it so many times."

"That was before. Your brother is adjusting well in school now. As you know, we were very worried about him. Jacob was not adjusting well. I think he thought that he would get to go to the same school as you. He was disappointed. He didn't feel like he was special," said Dr. Nelsen.

"But, he is," insisted Sidney. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard him say."

"Well, you have to understand how it's like from his perspective. He's so much younger than you after all. He's spent his childhood seeing all the wonderful things you can do," said Dr. Nelsen. "And what about you? Are you still playing music?"

"Yes, Papa."

"You could do so much more than just that. How does that benefit anyone? It's just entertainment," said Dr. Nelsen with a sigh. Sidney looked at him with a mildly hurt expression on her face. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. It's up to you. You're an adult. It's your choice."

Sidney sighed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him. Her father was always like that. He had such high hopes for her. He did not think that music was enough of an occupation for her. She had wasted her talents in his mind's eye. He wanted her in a more caring profession where she could make a difference in the world. 

Dr. Nelsen did not know that Sidney worked for the Veritas. All he knew was that his daughter was a musician. He would have been extremely proud of his daughter, if he knew what she was doing. Dr. Nelsen did not ask many questions because he knew that his daughter was different. He had never even heard of her relationship with Bill Weasley, which was a very serious relationship. Sidney could predict where the conversation was going to next.

"So, are you seeing anyone special?" asked her father.

Sidney laughed, despite herself. "No. You know, Papa, most fathers wouldn't be in such a rush for their children to get married, especially their daughters. It makes them feel old," she answered.

"I am old," laughed her father. "Besides, I would like to have some grandchildren before I'm too old to enjoy them."

Sidney bit her lip as she thought of something that bothered her. "Papa, I don't think it's safe for you, Mama, and Jake. You should get out of England. I am serious, Papa," she said quietly as she gazed into his eyes.

Dr. Nelsen took a sip from his water glass before licking his lips. "I can't tell you what to do, Sidney. I can accept that about you. I suggest you do the same. I know what is safe for my family," he told her. 

"Papa, that death at my old school. I told you about that. You said you were considering moving then. He's back. You, Mama, and Jake are in danger," whispered Sidney. "Don't you believe me?"

Dr. Nelsen sighed. "I can't pretend I completely understand you, Sidney. I haven't been able to since you were eleven. But, you're saying this person is back, aren't you?"

"Yes, Papa, and he's more dangerous because he's got a lot of time to make up for," said Sidney.

"I know I mentioned it before," her father said as he sighed again. "But, I refuse to live in fear, Sidney. Do you understand that?"

Sidney nodded and pressed her lips together. There was nothing more she could say.

The phone started ringing the moment Percy was able to close his eyes. It was not his normal telephone, but his cell phone. He picked it up without looking at who was calling he said, "Hello?"

"Get ready," said Asmodeus' voice on the line. "There have been more attacks. Multiple hits at the same time. The cleaning crews are having a hard time. Everyone's gone on alert."

"I'll be there. Just text message the address," said Percy, immediately wide-awake. The line went dead, so Percy got out of bed to go and change his clothes. He came back and saw the address on his phone. He Apparated there.

The address was located in the Southern part of London. Asmodeus was already waiting for him. He was wearing a pair of rubber latex gloves. There was a van with other Veritas agents processing the scene.

Without any preamble, Asmodeus told Percy, "We were able to get here quick enough. We intercept the police, but this neighborhood is pretty big. Look at the apartments."

Percy looked around and saw that there were several apartments around them. "Which family?" he asked.

"Jones," replied Asmodeus without saying the agent's codename. "Either way, we've got to do this quickly. Let's go inside."

They walked into the apartment and found the place virtually undisturbed. The bodies had sheets draped over them. There was no need to ask for the cause of death. All of them knew Voldemort's methods well. He had a tendency to stick with something tried and true. 

"The London Police will be here soon. With these attacks happening all at the same time, we may not be able to kept this hidden for long," said Asmodeus.

"This is my fault," said Percy out loud.

"It's not. Finding the traitor won't stop these killings now. It's too late," said Asmodeus. "All we can do is prevent this."

"How? Look around you. Hardly the regular wizards have a chance. What chance do the Muggles have?" demanded Omega. His eyes had scanned the room and immediately noticed how much he knew about the Joneses. 

There was a refrigerator with drawings held up by magnets. The scrawl of the handwriting showed someone just learning how to write. There were pictures on walls and tables, depicting a happy family of three. There were only two bodies that were draped with sheets over them. Glancing at the pictures, Percy was able to tell that Jones, the agent, was female. Her husband and son were the victims. 

"So, she was married to a Muggle, wasn't she? She's not like the other victims so far," said Percy.

"No—" 

Asmodeus was interrupted by the sounds of other voices. It was the Muggle authorities. "We have to get out of here," he said.

"We haven't finished yet. This will make it to the press," said Percy. "Let's just use a spell so they can't see us. Let's hear what they think is going."

"Fine," agreed Asmodeus with a reluctant glance. They used a Disillusionment Charm to conceal themselves as the room suddenly burst open. The police filed into the room and came to a halt when they saw the bodies that the Veritas had covered up earlier.

Asmodeus tapped Percy's shoulder and pointed to one of the police officers. He was dressed in plain clothes because he was an inspector. Percy mouthed, "Who?"

"Veritas," mouthed Asmodeus.

"What is this? What happened here?" asked one of the officers as she pulled back one of the sheets. It was the first time Percy had ever seen a dead body in his entire life. It was the little boy who appeared like he was only sleeping. The officer prodded her fingers against his throat gently. "He's dead."

"Look around the other rooms," said the inspector. "I'll look around here. The rest of you go outside knock on doors asked them what happened."

Percy glanced at Asmodeus in alarm. What if the other crewmembers had not finished doing the mind wipes? What if the police found out about the Dark Mark? People from great distances saw them, but had a tendency to dismiss it as a figment of their overworked brains and a product of overactive imaginations. "Move," mouthed Asmodeus.

Percy moved, but he ran into a table, knocking over the vase that was sitting on it. The inspector turned and looked at them. "What was that? What are you doing, Dylan?" asked the female officer from the other room.

"I just ran into something," said Inspector Dylan quickly. "Damn it." He looked away and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a PDA. He wrote something on the screen and showed it to them. "Oberon."

"Asmodeus and Omega," said Asmodeus to Inspector Dylan's introduction.

Inspector Dylan wrote something else. "Get out now before they spot you. I will finish the clean up here."

Percy and Asmodeus got outside. They did not Apparate out just yet. They could not leave because they were not sure that the clean up crew had finished with the mind wipes. They saw that the police were inspecting the van and it remained unopened it. One of them was calling for backup to inspect for bombs. 

Without looking at each other, Asmodeus and Percy ran forward ready to stun them to keep from doing anything further. "_Stupefy!"_ shouted Percy immediately knocking out the police who was trying to make the call.

"Who's there?! Freeze!" shouted one of the other officers. "What's happened to Park?"

"He's out cold, Sir," answered one of the other officers. 

"Who's there?" demanded the first officer again.

Part of the crew that was supposed to be doing the mind wipes had turned too soon. "Who are you? Stand down!" The police had their guns raised.

One of the members of the crew did something incredibly stupid. She shouted back, "_Accio__!_" Causing the gun of the first officer to come flying towards her. There was an officer who was either too surprised or too inexperienced because a shot was fired. Soon enough the officers started to fire.

"Fools!" shouted Asmodeus.

The Veritas agents were able to move or shield themselves from the bullets. However, they did not simply take fire. Spells started to fly. The young witch who had started the gun battle obviously had not read the manual on how to interact with the Muggles in such a situation. She used a spell above the usual Stunning Spell. "_Rictusempra_!" she shouted. Her spell knocked one of the officers down.

"Stop it! You are not to use hexes on them!" ordered Asmodeus. "I said stand down!"

Percy had taken off his Disillusionment Charm and Apparated to the crew. "Stop."

"What's going on here?" asked the female officer who had been inside with Inspector Dylan. "Who are you people?" Inspector Dylan had trailed behind her. He looked as if he was trying to stop her. "Call for back up, Dylan. What have you people done?"

Everyone had remained still when she had come out. "Never mind," she continued. "We'll go back to headquarters and discuss this. You're all under arrest."

"I don't think so!" shouted one of the crewmembers. "_Stupefy!_" He stunned one of the officers near him. 

A shot was fired at that moment from one of their guns. It was aimed at that crewmember, but someone had come in just in the nick of time to block the shot. Percy Apparated right between the crewmember and the bullet.

Percy felt the bullet graze him on the side. He felt the warm blood trickling down his side as he winced. He pressed his hand against his wound, feeling pain immediately. He staggered back and sank to his knees. 

"That will be enough," said a calm voice. Someone was standing on top of the cleaning crew van. It was Sidney decked out in leather. She opened her mouth and started to chant. The chanting became a song. The police started to fall one by one, but none of the wizards were affected. In spite of the pain Percy was in, he was still aware of what was going on around him.

After a moment, Sidney jumped down to the ground. "You imbeciles. Did you follow any procedures at all?" she harshly accosted the members of the cleaning crew. "Asmodeus, why didn't you stop them?"

"I am sorry," said Asmodeus. "I had no idea that this would happen."

"Excuse me. I know that this is all very important right now," announced Percy primly, "but I am in a lot of pain. I've just been shot."

The crewmember that he had protected stepped forward to help him, but Percy batted him off. "Just get back to work. Finish the mind wipes. Start with the police officers. Do you think you can handle that?" His voice was straining with each word as the pain got worse.

Asmodeus Apparated to Percy's side and supported him. "What are you waiting for? Go and finish your jobs. Now!"

"Yes, Sir," said the crewmember. "Sorry about this."

"Just go," ordered Inspector Dylan. "I'll take care of this. I'm sure I can handle it. Besides, I think I should do the mind wipes on my fellow officers. Just go and get him some help."

"The clinic isn't open right now. They're backed up with some of the bodies coming in from injuries and other fatalities among other agents," said Sidney as she placed her hand on Percy's other shoulder. "Let me look at it."

Percy nodded, and Sidney lifted his shirt. "Sit him back down so I can put on some bandaging. It's only a graze, but you're bleeding a lot. All I can do is apply pressure right now. Make a tourniquet of some kind," she said as she conjured some bandages. "We can't go to St. Mungo's for this. It would be too suspicious. And there are people from the Order working there. This will get back to your family."

"We can't go to a Muggle hospital either. They'd be able to tell that this is a gunshot wound or at least a graze. We need to get you to someone. Even though it's not too serious, you're bleeding a lot. It's best that we have it checked out."

"But why can't we go to a Muggle hospital?" asked Percy, wincing as Sidney applied more pressure to keep him from bleeding out. He sucked in a long breath from the pain.

"The Muggles document things. And they pay more attention to things like this. It will get back to the Muggle authorities," explained Asmodeus.

Sidney finished wrapping the bandages and pressed her lips like she always did when she was thinking. "I think that I know a doctor. A Muggle doctor who could help us without telling anyone."

"Who?" asked Amodeus.

"My father," answered Sidney. "He's got a private practice. If I just call him up, I could have him meet us at his clinic."

"Good enough for me," said Percy. "I'm thirsty."

"Your body's running out of fluids to convey the blood efficiently through your system," said Sidney, trying to reassure him. "We can't Apparate there, Omega. You might splice yourself in your condition."

"We'll use the clean up crew's van," said Asmodeus. "Oberon, tell the crew just to Apparate back to headquarters. I'll deal with them later."

"Yes, Asmodeus. I'll finish up here," agreed Inspector Dylan. "You'd better get going now. I'll help you get him into the van."

Percy wanted to try to get back on his own feet, but Sidney shook her head. Inspector Dylan took Percy's legs, while Asmodeus carried his upper half. They gently carried him to the van and set him down as comfortably as possible. Percy was still thirsty. Sidney conjured up some water and assisted him as he drank.

"It's cold. It's getting cold," whispered Percy hoarsely. Sidney grabbed one of the sheets that was in the van and wrapped him up. Asmodeus went to the driver's seat and started the van.

"Where's your father's practice, Aura?" he asked as soon as the van was out of the neighborhood. Sidney gave him directions as she tried to keep Percy calm. "I have to call him, first." She used her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Jake, it's Sidney. I need to talk to Papa."

"Hang on a second."

"Hello Sidney. How are you?"

"Papa, I need you to come down to your clinic. One my friends has been injured."

"How serious is it? You should go to a hospital."

"Papa, I can't. Just come down here. I'm closer to your practice anyway. Please, Papa."

Her father sighed, and said, "I'll be there in ten minutes. There's a key box with a combination lock. Do you remember where it is?"

"Yes."

"The combination is your mother's name."

"Thank you, Papa."

"Don't thank me yet, Sidney." 

Sidney hung up. "Asmodeus, he's coming. Pull into the back. There's a key box that has the spare key in it." Asmodeus parked the van in the back. "Find the key box. It's behind panel next to the meter. Open the key box with the letters A-N-N. And bring a stretcher." 

Asmodeus went to the key box and opened it. He unlocked the back gate. "There's a security pad. I'll just disable it," he said as he pressed some of the buttons. He was very good at getting past such systems. He found a stretcher and wheeled it outside. Dr. Nelsen did not have a lot of stretchers and wheel chairs, but he did have some just in case.

"Percy, can you hear me?" asked Sidney. "My father will be here soon. You're going to be fine." Percy nodded. She used her wand to magick him onto the stretcher. They wheeled him inside. "Which room?" asked Asmodeus.

"The closest one," replied Sidney as she guided the stretcher. "I'll get some more bandages and another blanket. Give him some more water."

"We should get some Blood-Replenishing Potion for him," suggested Asmodeus. "It's safer than giving him a blood transfusion."

"I don't have the materials to brew some. It has to be special ordered and only medical personnel can order it," said Sidney.

"If you had the materials, could you brew it?" asked Asmodeus. 

"I don't know if we have time for that, but I think so," answered Sidney. "The Muggle blood supply is pretty safe. They screen it thoroughly before they even think of distributing it." 

"Sidney, you shouldn't just leave things wide open like this," said Dr. Nelsen as he walked in. "Let me see your friend."

Sidney led him to Percy, while Asmodeus went and got some water. Dr. Nelsen looked at him carefully. He moved Percy's left arm to get a better look at the wound. "It's a graze. This looks like a bullet hit him. Any nearer and it would have hit him for sure," he summarized. He picked up Percy's wand and handed it to Sidney. "You best keep this for safekeeping. Let me get to work. You can assist me."

After several tense minutes, the Nelsens were able to patch up the wound. Asmodeus had returned just as Dr. Nelsen said, "He's lost over a pint of blood."

"It looked like so much," said Sidney.

"He's going to be weak for a while," said Dr. Nelsen. 

"I have some Blood-Replenishing Potion. I went to the medical center and got some," announced Asmodeus as he showed the vial. "No one was there, but I don't think that Brandon will mind that I went through his stock."

Dr. Nelsen looked rather apprehensive about using wizarding medicine in his clinic, but decided it was best. "He is a wizard after all. But, I'll inject it into his skin," he said as he picked up a needle. "How much of it do I use?"

"One vial is a dose," answered Sidney. "Use all of it."

Dr. Nelsen ended up loading three injections worth of the potion. He injected each one into Percy's arm. Percy was too weak to really feel anything, except for the ache in his side. "I'll give him something for the pain. It'll make him sleep," said Dr. Nelsen, filling up another needle with medicine and injecting it into his arm. "He should be fine. Just let him rest."

"Papa, would you mind, if he rested at our house?" asked Sidney. "In the morning, your staff is going to be here, not to mention all your other patients."

Dr. Nelsen stared at her for a moment and pressed his lips firmly together in deep thought. "All right," he said finally. "But, I want to know exactly what's going on. I want to know why this young man has been shot and what you've been up to, Sidney."

Sidney glanced at Asmodeus. He was the ranking agent because of his seniority. He nodded. Sidney turned her attention back to her father and nodded.

* * *

Written by kirikarin

AN: Some might wonder why the Veritas did not put up another clinic in town or just summon Dr. Kunishima and Healer Brandon. I wanted to introduce Sidney's family. Anyone got a bad feeling for them? I did it for stylistic reasons. Sidney's secret still won't be revealed until later. Since I've made some thing predictable, I had to come up with something that someone couldn't guess. That's all I'll say for now.

The reason why the agents from the clean up crew were so foolish was that they were not used to dealing with the Muggles like that. They were also too inexperienced. With so many attacks happening at the same time, the Veritas had to send in less experienced agents to handle the clean up. Clean up crew agents are different from the field agents. This will be explained a bit more later.

By the way, my beta reader can no longer edit my work. She is currently trying to edit this chapter along with the next two. I decided to post this up as a request for a beta reader. If you are interested, please go to my profile and contact me.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry. This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission. 


	17. The Way of the Veritas

Veritas

Part Two: When I'm Gone

Chapter Sixteen – The Way of the Veritas

Percy woke up wondering what time it was.  He glanced at his watch and in great alarm sat up.  He was breathing hard, and he could his side throbbing.  Percy glanced down to see that his torso was wrapped in white bandages.  His head felt fuzzy as if he had had an incomplete mind wipe.  He ran his fingers through his hair and brought his hand to his side again, putting pressure to it, only to be rewarded by a sharp pain.  It was enough to snap him back to his senses.  He took in the room and noticed that he was not in his flat at all.

He was in a comfortable full-sized bed, but he slept usually in a king-sized bed.  He noticed how fluffy the pillows and comforter were.  The linen was fine under his fingertips.  The wallpaper had a flower design on it.  A nightstand with an expensive looking lamp stood next to the bed.  There was a bay window that flooded sunlight into the room, but he wondered why he had not woken up until that moment.  Furthermore, he was late for work.

Falling back, Percy decided that wherever he was, he was safe for the time being.  From what he could tell, he was in a Muggle house somewhere.  He had no idea where he was.  He groaned as he attempted to find a more comfortable position, but settled on his back because his side hurt too much to move.  He closed his eyes again to go back to sleep, but he could not.  He kept his eyes closed as he thought about what had happened last night.

Percy remembered the confrontation with the London police.  Everything had happened so fast that he was having a hard time remembering.  He vaguely recalled Sidney coming in and stopping everything.  Percy furrowed his brow in concentration.  Sidney had been sing something.  An incantation Percy had never heard before.

The door opened in twenty minutes.  Percy struggled to get up to see who it was, but a firm pair of hands pushed him back down soothingly.  "Don't try to get up, Perce.  You've been through a lot," said Sidney.  "How are you feeling?"

"It hurts," muttered Percy.  "What happened last night?  I know I got shot, but—"

"That's what I would like to know myself," interrupted Dr. Nelsen as he walked in.  "Let me take a look at you, young man.  I have to check your wounds."

Percy glanced at Sidney for a moment.  She nodded.  "Would you mind leaving?" he asked her.

Sidney narrowed her eyes at him.  "Don't tell me you're shy all of a sudden.  I was the one who assisted my father."

"Sidney, the patient is now conscious.  He can decided what he wants," said Dr. Nelsen rather sternly.  "If he wants you to leave, then he wants you to leave."

Sidney rolled her eyes, but no one was sure whom it was aimed towards.  "Fine, whatever," she said as she walked out of the room and shut the door behind her with a loud snap.

"You'll have to forgive my daughter," said Dr. Nelsen pleasantly.  "She's just worried about you that's all.  You were in bad shape last night.  If you're wondering where your wand is, it's with her."

"I'm late for work," muttered Percy, sitting up.  He winced a bit, but Dr. Nelsen allowed him to move.  "I have to be there.  People will notice if I'm not there."

"You're in no condition to go to work today, Percy.  I could give you a doctor's note, but I doubt that it would do you much good.  My daughter has explained what happened to you last night, but I must say that I think she's leaving out some important parts," Dr. Nelsen told him gently.  

"My head is fuzzy," mumbled Percy as he ran his fingers through his hair.  "I can't concentrate."

"It's probably the medicine.  You're not used to the kind of medicine I gave you," said Dr. Nelsen.  "You were very lucky, Percy.  If the bullet had been any closer, it would have hit something vital.  Last night was the first time I've ever seen what kind of medicine you people have.  I must say that I would like to see more of it.  You need a few days of bed rest."

Percy looked at him and shook his head.  "You don't understand.  I have to be at work.  I work for a very important man and my father works there, too.  He'll notice if I'm not there," he insisted.  

"You should rest more.  Most people your age would be happy to take some time off," said Dr. Nelsen sternly, but there was humor in his eyes.  His eyes were not like his daughter's at all.  A grin was tugging on the sides of his lips.  Percy had a feeling that he was not being taken seriously.  

"This is your house, isn't it?" asked Percy.  

"Yes, you're in my house.  Tell me, how do you know my daughter?" asked Dr. Nelsen.

"We work together.  She's my supervisor," replied Percy.  He knew that he was at Dr. Nelsen's mercy at the moment.  "She was Head Girl in our school when I first started."

Dr. Nelsen smiled a bit.  "So, you've known her since you were eleven?" he asked.

"Not really.  I was too young," admitted Percy.  He sat up straighter, but the pain sharpened to remind him not to move too much.

"I don't know what you were really doing out there, Percy," said Dr. Nelsen.  "But, I will tell you one thing, whatever it is I don't want my daughter to be in any danger."

Percy looked at him solemnly.  "Dr. Nelsen, she's the one who's supervising me, but we watch each other's backs."

"You seem too young to be working around such dangerous situations," said Dr. Nelsen thoughtfully.  "I don't understand your world.  It was hard to even believe at first that there really were wizards and witches in the world.  I am a man of science.  Do you know that science isn't exactly compatible with magic?"

Percy nodded.  "Yes, I understand.  I'm not from a family like yours.  My entire family is made up of wizards and witches.  From my perspective, almost all the things done to me last night doesn't make much sense.  I didn't understand."

Dr. Nelsen stood up.  "I think it's time I look over your wound," he said.  "My daughter says that you are to go to your work clinic to finish up my work, but I still want to check if you're all right."  Percy nodded and Dr. Nelsen looked at the bandages.  "I still think you need to rest more, but if you're so eager to get back to work, then it's best to get you moving."

"Your other associate brought some clothes from your flat.  You can use the bathroom through that door," said Dr. Nelsen gesturing at the door in the room.  There was a closet with sliding doors.  "Get dressed and come join us for breakfast."

When Dr. Nelsen left the room, Percy slowly got up and went to the bathroom.  The first thing he did was wash his face.  He decided that he could not take a shower because of the bandages, but he could take one later.  Asmodeus had brought Percy's clothes in his gym bag.  Percy found a shirt and a pair of slacks inside.  He changed his clothes and put on his new socks.  He had noticed that Asmodeus had gone through Percy's wizarding wardrobe.  Percy found his robes neatly folded in the bottom of the bag, but he did not put them on.  His glasses were in a side pocket in a case.  He left the bathroom and found his coat hanging on a hook on the door.  Someone had cleaned it off.

Percy grabbed it off the hook and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.  It was still early in the morning, but Percy usually went to work at around six.  It was already seven.  He looked around him as he went down the stairs.  Percy looked around.  The house was huge.  It was decorated with fine art pieces and furniture.  The Nelsens' home was the opposite of the Burrow.  Everything was wide-open spaces, while the Burrow had to be arranged to maximize space.  Despite the high walls and cleanliness, the house still had the warmth of a family.  Percy saw pictures on the mantle, at the fireplace and on the tables.  There were bookshelves.  There was a small table with knickknacks that Percy almost knocked over.  It was poorly placed. 

"I'm sorry about that.  A lot of people run into it.  Mum likes to put it there because she thinks it's interesting.  Are you ever going to come to breakfast?" asked Sidney as she met him at the foot of the stairs.

"This place is huge," marveled Percy out loud.  "It's wonderful."

"Thanks," said Sidney.  "My mother does the decorating.  I've never been one for doing that sort of thing.  Come on."

"This isn't like the Burrow at all," said Percy out loud.

Sidney stopped for a moment.  "Percy, I think it's time to stop pretending.  You do remember me more than you let on.  Or are willing to admit," she said.

"Yes, I know, but I didn't think you wanted to talk about it.  I don't know exactly what happened between you and my brother, but I know well enough that you were the one who broke it off," said Percy briskly.  "Let's not talk about this here.  There's no point.  It's in the past."

"Sidney, is your guest coming or isn't he?  It's all right, if he isn't feeling well enough to.  I could bring—" walked in Mrs. Nelsen.  She stopped when she saw Percy and Sidney.  They turned to look at her.

"Good morning, Mrs. Nelsen," greeted Percy with a charming smile.  Mrs. Nelsen was taken aback.  She smiled back at him.  "Your food smells delightful.  I look forward to an excellent breakfast."

"This way then.  Sidney so rarely brings home any of her friends these days.  She's always working.  Always rehearsing or performing.  Her job takes her all over the place," said Mrs. Nelsen as Percy walked up to her.  They walked to the kitchen together, leaving Sidney disarmed for a second.  She shook her head and followed them.

Dr. Nelsen was sitting at a circular table with a boy.  He looked about twelve years old.  They were eating their breakfast.  The boy looked at Percy with wonder as he pulled a chair for Mrs. Nelsen.  Percy also pulled Sidney's chair for her before taking his seat between Sidney and her brother.  "Percy, this is my brother, Jake.  Jake, this is my friend, Percy.  And you met my mother, Ann," said Sidney.

"You're a wizard, aren't you?" asked the boy with wide eyes.  "Are you going to do some magic?"

"Jake, it's against the rules to do magic in front of normal people," said Sidney.

Jake slouched back in his chair.  He looked a little small for his age.  He had the same hair color and eyes as Sidney.  Percy looked at their parents and noticed that they had inherited the hair from their mother.  The eyes, however, were a mystery.  "Aw, you're no fun, Sidney," whined Jake.

"And sit up," ordered Sidney further, but Jake made his body more lax instead and practically slid under the table.

"Jake, don't do that," said their mother gently.  "Sit up straight.  Slouching is bad for you.  Your back will hurt."

"And you're being annoying," added Sidney under her breath.

Jake stuck his tongue out at his sister for good measure.  Percy laughed out loud along with Dr. Nelsen.  "You remind me of my brothers," he said.

"How many brothers do you have?" asked Jake.

"Five brothers and a younger sister," replied Percy.

"Really?" asked Jake excitedly.

Percy nodded.  "Do they all do magic?  I wish I could do magic," said Jake wistfully.  "But, I can't.  I'm just normal."

"There's nothing wrong with that.  You probably know how to use a computer much better than I do," said Percy.

Jake looked a little bewildered.  "You can't use a computer?"

"Barely," admitted Percy.

"You're like Mum and Papa.  They don't know what they're doing.  They're always asking me questions," Jake told him.  "I know how to do loads of electronics.  I even figured out how to take apart the printer and put it back together.  It still works the same as before."

Percy smiled at him.  "My brothers just got out of school.  They like to tinker around with things all the time.  My dad likes looking at your people's gadgets.  Finds it all very fascinating.  I also took classes in school to learn how to use the gadgets myself."

"I didn't have to take those classes," said Sidney.

"Because you already knew how to use them," retorted Percy.

"Oh my, will you look at the time?  Jake, go upstairs and get cleaned up.  You have to get going to school soon," said Mrs. Nelsen.

"But, Mum—"

"Jake, go upstairs.  Wash up and brush your teeth.  Did you remember to pack up your bag and homework last night?" asked Mrs. Nelsen.  "You'll have to forgive me.  I have to be at my gallery early, but I need to drop him off for school."

"That's all right, Mum," said Sidney.  Percy nodded in agreement.

"I want to talk to him more, Mum," whined Jake.  

"Go upstairs, Jacob," said Mrs. Nelsen in an exasperated voice, which reminded Percy strongly of his mother when she was dealing with the twins.  Jake gave her a pout as he left the breakfast table.  He stomped all the way upstairs.  Mrs. Nelsen smiled as she put the dishes away in the kitchen.  "You'll have to forgive him," said Sidney. 

"He's like all younger siblings.  He's interested in anything that his older sister is doing," added Dr. Nelsen.

Percy and Sidney were left alone with Dr. Nelsen.  "What did you tell her, Papa?" asked Sidney after a minute.

"I told her that your friend got hurt last night because a car clipped him," replied Dr. Nelsen.  "But, that's all the lying I will do for you, Sidney.  Not until I get some answers."

"Dr. Nelsen, you told me that there are some things about our world that you don't understand.  This just happens to be one of them," ventured Percy carefully.

"What happened to you was not magical," snapped Dr. Nelsen.

"You should trust your daughter, Dr. Nelsen.  She placed her faith in you because she knew that she could.  Do you realize how easy it would have been for us to just wipe your memory clean and make it look like nothing happened?  We can still do that," said Percy.  "We haven't though."

Dr. Nelsen's lips were in a thin line as he glanced at his daughter.  "Why did you call me last night, Sidney?" he asked.

"Because you're my papa.  I knew you could fix anything," replied Sidney.

"Very well," sighed Dr. Nelsen.  "But, I know what you're doing is dangerous.  Why?"

"Because I want to make a difference, Papa," answered Sidney.  "That's what I learned from you."  She swallowed.

"Looks like it's come back to haunt me," whispered Dr. Nelsen as he ran his fingers through his graying hair.  "Are you sure you know what you're doing?  Would it be too much for me to suggest that you take the day off, Percy?"

"Very well, Dr. Nelsen," agreed Percy.  "Besides, I'll be able to come up with a better reason of why I wasn't there than explain why I was late.  Thank you very much, Dr. Nelsen."

Dr. Nelsen snorted.  Sidney smiled at her father.  She stood up.  "I think it's time we get going, too, Papa," she told him.  "Thank you for everything."  She kissed him on the cheek.  She nodded at Percy who rose to his feet.  "We have to go now, Papa.  Tell Mum and Jake that we said goodbye," added Sidney.

"Sidney."

Percy stopped her.  She turned to face her father.  "Yes, Papa?"

"Be careful," whispered Dr. Nelsen without looking at her.  

"Yes, Papa," whispered Sidney as they walked out the backdoor of the house.  Sidney did not look back.  Percy thought about how it looked like to his family when he had left the Burrow.  Sidney was always welcomed back home just as Percy was welcomed back home.  However, he realized that neither of them could ever really return home again.  No matter how much they wanted to.  They were people who had no home to come to.  They were people who had sacrificed their identities and their happiness for others.  It was the way of the Veritas.

Percy and Sidney went to see Dr. Kunishima.  She looked over his injuries and said that he was going to be fine.  Healer Brandon used some potions on it and cleared up the whole injury, leaving no scar.  He did warn Percy that the spot would still be tender for a few days and to ease up on his activity.

Asmodeus met up with them.  He looked a little flustered.  "There you are, Percy," he said.

"What's wrong?  You look weird," said Percy.

"You would be, too, if you saw the way Lord Wallace handled the crew.  He was very angry.  I've never seen him angry before.  I suppose what's been going on can get to anybody," said Asmodeus.  "Lord Wallace came in after he heard that the agent that got hurt was you.  He wants to speak with you."

"What about me?" asked Sidney.

"You can submit your report, Sidney.  You didn't do anything wrong.  You got off lucky.  I had to explain everything to him," said Asmodeus.  "Don't just stand there, Percy.  Go and see him."

Percy walked towards Lord Wallace's office.  He was nervous, nearing panic by the time he reached Lord Wallace's door.  He knew that he had done something wrong last night.  He could not blame Asmodeus because Lord Wallace would have learned everything.  Percy had hesitated last night when he was investigating the Jones house.  He was about to knock on the door, but he heard, "Enter."

Percy swallowed and entered the office.  Lord Wallace was at his desk looking through a newspaper.  He had a stack of Muggle and wizarding newspapers on his desk.  It was a very neat office.  There were no personal affects anywhere, not even award plaques.  There was a plant in the office along with a fish tank, which included a very rare fish that only wizards had.  They were native to Asian waters.

Lord Wallace looked up at him and folded the newspaper.  "Please have a seat," he said in a soft voice.  "Would you like anything to drink or eat?"

If Percy did not know any better, he could have sworn that Lord Wallace was fussing over him.  He noticed how Lord Wallace's eyes shined with concern.  Percy shook his head as an answer and to remind himself that Lord Wallace was probably just tired.  Also, Percy reminded himself that he had had a long night. 

"No, Milord.  I'm fine," responded Percy.  

"Dr. Nelsen will be rewarded for his efforts," said Lord Wallace with a slight smile.  "He did a very fine thing last night."

"I think he would rather be rewarded with answers to his questions, but that isn't possible," said Percy.

"You will have some time off.  I should have know it was too soon for you to be looking at the attacks."

Percy could not hide his surprise.  He shook his head.  "It will pass, Milord.  All the agents must be out there.  I've failed to find the person who has given Voldemort the information, but I can help this way.  Please, Milord.  I can't just sit in the safety of the Ministry.  You need me out there," he insisted in a determined voice.

Lord Wallace's eyes flickered for a moment, with yet another unidentifiable emotion was in his eyes.  "You did a very courageous thing last night.  You should be commended for your work, Percy.  You protected your team members without any regard to your safety.  You have performed very well."

"Thank you, Milord," said Percy, not sure what to make of the situation.  He recalled hearing almost the same thing before from Minister Fudge just before being promoted in the Ministry.  He decided to take the praise, but he did so wryly.  He added in a sincere, quiet voice, "I was only doing my duty.  Nothing more."

Lord Wallace nodded.  "However, I have a feeling you would rather not hear these words.  You would rather continue working in the field, would you not?"

"Yes, I would, Milord," replied Percy glancing at him.  The flicker was still there.  Percy thought it was very familiar, but he still could not identify that emotion.  Lord Wallace nodded. "Very well, but you must be more careful in the future.  All right?" he whispered.

"Of course, Milord."

"Then go.  Take the day off.  You're dismissed."

Percy left his office, feeling more bewildered than he had did before.  This was only the second time he had ever met with Lord Wallace, yet he felt an odd kinship with him.  It was unexplainable.  Percy was curious as to why Asmodeus would say that Lord Wallace was so angry about what had happened, because he had not noticed Lord Wallace seemingly angry at all.  Lord Wallace had given Percy the impression of someone who was relieved.  Was Lord Wallace relived to see Percy? 

Percy shook his head from such thoughts.  This was the second time in his life that he had a meeting with a supervisor and found out that he was not in trouble.  However, this time, Percy was more suspicious.  What did it matter to Lord Wallace that he was all right?  Why?  It bothered Percy a great deal.

"How did it go?  What happened?" asked a familiar voice from behind, shaking Percy free from his thoughts.

"Ah!  It's you!" exclaimed Percy when he saw the petite Gizmo staring at him.

"It's great to see you, too," she said in a cute voice with an even cuter smile.  Percy recoiled inside and felt the sharp pain from where his wound was.  "So, how did it go?  Alpha was pretty angry last night.  He came in right away when he heard that you got hurt."

"You were around when he came in?  I thought your lab was somewhere else," said Percy.

"I had to help with the cleaning last night," said Gizmo, looking serious.  "You should have seen him last night.  He was yelling.  I hope I never see it again.  It was pretty scary.  Things were shaking.  I'm talking about the vans and the walls.  It was like a small earthquake.  And believe me, I know earthquakes.  I'm from San Francisco."

"He didn't seem angry when I saw him just now," said Percy thoughtfully.  _He seemed relieved to see that I was in one piece._

"Really?" asked Gizmo, utterly perplexed.  "That's strange.  I guess he couldn't be mad at you, seeing that you didn't do anything wrong.  That would be pretty unfair if he did."

"Aren't you supposed to be taking the day off?" interrupted Aya as she walked up to them.  "I wrote it on the report.  Go on.  Doctor's orders."

Percy sighed.  "I was going anyway.  See you all later," he said as he walked off.

Gizmo waited until he was gone before asking Aya, "I don't supposed you'd know what's going on around, would you?"

"Doctor-Patient confidentiality," replied Aya with a neutral expression.  "I'll see you later, Gizmo."  She walked back towards the direction of the clinic.

Gizmo sighed and rolled her eyes.  There was something that she was not getting and it was bothering her to no end.  She supposed it was best to chalk this latest thing up with the other mysteries around her.  It was the way of the Veritas.

* * *

AN: We learn a little bit more about Sidney, while Percy recovers.  Anyone surprised that Lord Wallace would be pretty scary angry?  This chapter shows some of the things the Veritas members have to deal with.  The Veritas is the type of place where a lot of things can go on unexplained.

Disclaimer:  I do not own Harry.  This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.  


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